Buried Revelations - Part One of the Revelations Trilogy
by angelicalkiss
Summary: While on a case, Nancy and Joe become trapped in a tunnel after a cave-in. Things are revealed both inside and out. - COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

 **Well, I'm back after a few weeks of working on several possible stories along with having life go back to normal. This story is going to be a stand alone with no ties whatsoever to any previous works. There really is no mystery though one is mentioned. The first paragraph alone is just a set up for the rest of the story. Tell me what you think of it by leaving a review! You know how much I love hearing from all of you! Enjoy! - _I revised the end of this chapter. I felt that it was missing something more and was very vague. Sorry for that! I hate it when I don't explain everything. This time, I hope this sounds a bit better. Enjoy!_**

* * *

Chapter One

 _Nancy Drew was in Arizona for a little break from life by joining an archeological dig of a recently found Native American site. The site was in cooperation with the University of Arizona and ran by a professor named Marcus Windham. Although it started out to be relaxing for her, not having a mystery to solve or her personal life going haywire, several artifacts went missing soon after she arrived and a mystery formed. When the case started heating up, Nancy decided to ask for help from two of her closest friends: the Hardy boys. Within a day of them arriving, Joe overheard a conversation that could break open the case for the trio._

"Are you sure you heard them correctly, Joe?" Frank asked as he followed his younger brother through the old mining tunnel. Nancy brought up the rear, looking around with her flashlight and listening to the brothers in front of her.

"Yes, Frank, for the thousandth time!" cried Joe, the beam of his flashlight bouncing off the dark tunnel floor. Although the mine had not been in use for over a hundred years, the tunnel seemed to be a haven for teenagers using it as a hangout as trash and debris were scattered throughout. The occasional old-fashioned lantern could be seen hanging from the walls here and there while rusted mining tools were seen semi-buried in the dirt. "I heard two guys talking about moving the 'merchandise' to the seller's rendezvous before the auction. It sounded like they wanted it done quickly hence the reason why I dragged you out here so quickly."

"Did you ever think that they knew you were there and lied about it to set a trap?" Frank stated. Although Frank couldn't see it, Joe rolled his eyes in annoyance before answering his brother.

"Yes, I did, Frank," Joe replied through gritted teeth, not hiding the irritation in his voice. "I understand that but I don't think they knew who I was let alone that I was even there."

"You keep believing that, Joe," Frank grumbled.

The trio walked in silence until they reached a dead end in the tunnel where it was partially collapsed from years of disuse. With only a lantern overturned on the floor, there was no evidence that someone had recently been there let alone a cache of artifacts.

"So, where is it, Joe?" asked Frank, his anger rising. Joe looked around the cramped tunnel, searching for anything out of the ordinary.

"I…I don't know," he stammered, looking confused as to why there was nothing there.

"Maybe they moved the stolen artifacts before we got here," Nancy suggested, looking around with her flashlight.

"It's not possible, Nan," Joe said, perplexed. "We came over here minutes after the conversation I heard. They wouldn't have had the time to get out here before us."

"Or maybe Joe was being a dumbass, gullible enough to believe two men he didn't see or know who they were!" Frank yelled, his voice echoing down the tunnel.

"Hey! I am not a dumbass!" Joe cried. The two brothers glared at each other before the younger one spoke again. "Just because it didn't come from the great Frank Hardy doesn't mean I didn't hear it! I know what I heard, Frank! They said it was here! I know I didn't see who they were but that doesn't mean I was hallucinating the whole thing!"

"Whatever, Joe," Frank said, rolling his eyes. "I have had enough of your antics. How do we know this isn't some prank you're pulling on us?"

"Why would I do that in the middle of an investigation?" Joe yelled, throwing his hands in the air. "You know me better than that, Frank! I'm tired of you not believing me!"

"Enough of this!" yelled Nancy. She stepped in between the brothers before either one could do something they regretted. "Both of you are acting like little kids! Grow up! There's got to be something here or we wouldn't have come all this way!"

"I can't believe you, Nancy!" cried Frank, looking at her in disbelief. "You're taking his side on this?! You were telling me earlier that this might be a wild goose chase and even you know Joe is wrong most of the time!"

"I may have said it was a 'wild goose chase' but I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt!" she yelled back. "I can't believe you, Frank Hardy! He's your brother for God's sake! You have to trust his instincts just as much as he trusts yours! What is wrong with you anyway? You're never this edgy!"

"That's none of your business, Nancy! You two can stick around and search for the invisible stolen artifacts. I'm going to go find the real ones!" With that, Frank turned on a dime and stormed back down the tunnel, leaving the other two in shock and silence.

"What's up his butt?" Nancy asked Joe, turning toward the younger Hardy. She could still hear Frank grumbling as he walked down the tunnel. "I've never seen him so angry."

"I honestly don't know, Nan," Joe replied though he averted his eyes from her questioning stare. Nancy had a feeling he wasn't telling her the whole truth but she didn't say anything. The two searched the dead end, feeling around the walls, thinking maybe there was a door or separate tunnel they didn't know about.

"Joe! Look at this!" Nancy cried out after a few moments of silence. She dusted away a small hole in the wall, pushing a button inside. Although the walls were made of dirt, a partition of stone built into the wall shifted open, revealing a large cavern. As the two stepped into the room, artifacts from different eras of time sat in neat piles and rows, the jewels and gold glittering in the beam of their flashlights.

"Woah." Joe looked around the room in shock. "I was beginning to think that I was wrong about what I heard."

"Well, you were right," Nancy smiled. She picked up a necklace and examined the gold encrusted with sparkling jewels. "This doesn't look like something that would be in the dig, though."

Joe looked over her shoulder at the necklace and frowned.

"If it didn't come from Professor Windham's dig site, where did it come from?"

"I'm not sure," Nancy shrugged. She shined her flashlight on another artifact, a clay bowl that was still intact. "Now that is from the dig. I remember cataloguing that one myself last week. At least we know where some of this stuff came from. Let's get back to Frank then call the Sheriff and Windham."

"Why don't we just leave Frank out of this?" Joe grumbled.

"Now, Joe," Nancy said, putting her hands on her hips. "Frank needs to know especially since you two argued over this just a few minutes ago. I would have thought you wanted to rub it in."

"True but I think it would go on deaf ears. He's being a little bullheaded over...nevermind." Joe stole a glance at Nancy see if she noticed his slip-up. Nancy gave him another look and he cleared his throat. "Well, then. Let's go."

Shaking her head, Nancy placed the necklace in her pocket and led Joe out of the cavern, closing the secret door. The two began walking toward the tunnel's entrance, the only sounds were their footsteps scraping in the dirt. Although they could not see Frank, they heard grumbling ahead of them.

"It sounds like Frank is still upset with us," Joe said. He turned back to Nancy when he realized she wasn't next to him. She had stopped several feet behind him, a look of confusion etched on her face. "What? What is it?"

The rumbling grew louder with Joe soon realizing that it wasn't Frank he was hearing. Nancy's eyes went wide as several clumps of dirt fell to the ground from the ceiling. The tunnel was beginning to cave in around them and they were nowhere near the exit!

* * *

Frank stormed down the tunnel, grumbling to himself about Joe. He stopped just around a corner and heaved a sigh. He wasn't really mad at Joe for overhearing the two men talking. There were other things at play that he just couldn't control. With Callie dumping him a few weeks before, Frank was still a bit upset though not entirely devastated over the whole breakup. He thought that maybe helping Nancy with her case would take his mind off of Callie. He and Joe held a room adjacent to Nancy's and knocked on her door after Joe fell asleep soon after they arrived. Frank went into her hotel room, calling her name but soon realized that she was in the shower. He was about to leave when something caught his eye on the dresser nearby. A necklace lay in a heap near the TV but it wasn't the necklace itself that got his attention. Looped onto the chain was what looked like a ring, the gem sparkling even in the dim light of the room. Although Frank wasn't into snooping on his friends, he was a little taken aback by the ring. He looked over at the bathroom door, still hearing the shower running and leaned over to check out the jewelry. The ring had a large, solitaire diamond in the middle, the gem winking at him as if laughing in his face. His heart fell slightly, knowing exactly what it meant. Nancy was engaged and she never even mentioned it to her closest friends.

Although he didn't have any inclination of trying to hook up with Nancy while they were in Arizona, Frank still felt somewhat betrayed. Not just by her though either. With Joe stealing off to Las Vegas with Vanessa two months before, one could only think of what had happened while they were there. The couple seemed different when they returned and hadn't said anything though Frank had a feeling. As he stood in the tunnel, thinking of everything going on, Frank felt as if he were being left behind by the two people whom he loved and trusted the most.

He continued his way back toward the entrance of the tunnel not hearing Nancy and Joe yelling behind him nor the rumbling going on around him. It wasn't until he felt the dirt hit his head that he realized that the tunnel was collapsing. He was just about to the entrance when he turned around to see where Joe and Nancy were. The two were running toward him as more and more dirt and rocks fell around them all.

"Hurry, guys!" Frank yelled, motioning for them to quicken their pace. He stood at the entrance to the tunnel, silently praying that his brother and friend made it out before the tunnel completely collapsed.

Frank turned on his heel and ran for the entrance just as the tunnel shook around him. He looked back to see Joe helping Nancy up from the ground as if she tripped. Frank was about to go back to them when Joe urged him on. The tunnel around him began to collapse as he watched Nancy and Joe struggle to get to him. He was only a few feet from the tunnel entrance when it almost completely caved in around him, covering him with dirt and rock. Frank rushed the last few feet into the blazing sunshine. He squinted his eyes as they adjusted to the sudden bright light and turned back to the tunnel just as the entrance collapsed, completely blocking anyone from getting in or out.

"Joe!" Frank screamed, stumbling to get back toward the tunnel. Using his hands as shovels, he tried digging through the pile of dirt before him. "No! Nancy!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Joe coughed, the dirt kicking up around him. Lifting his head slowly, he couldn't see much as the flashlight he was carrying was buried along with his hand and arm. Gently pulling himself out from underneath the mound of dirt and rock, the small area became illuminated by the heavy duty flashlight he still held. Coughing again, Joe looked around what was left of the tunnel, thankful that the air pocket held after the cave-in.

 _We were so close!_ he thought. His eyes went wide when he realized that he couldn't see where Nancy was. Knowing that she was right behind him when the tunnel collapsed, Joe started digging, ignoring the sudden pain in his wrist.

"Nancy!" he cried as he dug through the small mound nearby. Suddenly, the mound began shifting as a hand crawled its way out. As Joe helped dig through the mound, a head soon popped up, Nancy gasping for air. With his help, she wiggled her way out of her potential tomb. Yanking one last time, Joe pulled her out though a loud crack resonated in the small space. He let out a howl, grabbing his wrist and bringing it towards his body. Nancy coughed, spitting out bits of dirt to clear her throat and mouth.

"You okay, Joe?" she asked looking concerned at her friend who was rocking in place.

"I think I may have broken my wrist," Joe said through gritted teeth. "It was buried but I didn't think I hurt it that badly. I must have aggravated my wrist more when I pulled you out. Are _you_ okay?"

"I think I'm fine," Nancy replied, looking around her. "Much better than if I couldn't get out. You saved my life. Thanks."

"As if you've never done it for me in the past," Joe smirked. "Consider us even. Now the real question is how are we going to get out here?"

"I don't know," Nancy sighed. The air smelled stale which worried her. They may not have air long enough to be rescued. "You think Frank got out?"

"I'm sure he did or we'll all be dead before anyone knew we were even here."

"Way to sound optimistic, Joe," Nancy scoffed though she somewhat shared his thoughts. "There's got to be a way out of here."

"Well, when you figure that out, let me know," he joked, wincing. He let out a small cry again as he tried to nurse his wrist. "Damn, that hurts!"

"I'm sure it does," Nancy answered, moving over to him. She coughed hard before taking a look at Joe's wrist. He cried out when she tried to move it. "Oh, don't be such a baby. I think I can make a splint from the old wood lying around and use your jacket as a sling."

"Okay, Macgyver," he smirked. He winced again when he pulled off his jacket, trying to avoid his now swollen wrist. Nancy pulled off her shirt leaving her tank top on and found a broken piece of wood, dusting it off. As Joe held the wood to his arm, Nancy carefully wrapped her shirt around, ripping the short sleeve in order to tie it. Once she was done with the wrap, Nancy took his jacket and made a makeshift sling to cradle his arm.

"Is that better?"

"Yeah." He checked out the sling. It was still painful but not as bad now that it was more confined. "Where'd you learn to do that?"

"Macgyver," Nancy laughed then looked around the small area they were in. She went into a coughing fit causing Joe to look at her with concern.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, watching her.

"I'm fine, Joe," she stated quickly. Nancy coughed again. "Just a little bit of dust in my throat. Nothing that a bottle of water couldn't cure."

"I don't know if you've noticed, Nan, but we don't necessarily have a trickle of water coming in let alone a bottle of water."

"And whose fault is that, Joe?" Nancy retorted. Joe's face went paler than before and he looked at the ground in shame. "Sorry, Joe. I didn't mean it like that. This isn't your fault. We just had a little bit of bad luck. We'll figure this out."

Nancy searched the small area they were in, trying to figure out how to get out of the predicament they were in. She tried digging only to have the dirt and rock fall back on her. Every time she tried a new spot to dig, the same result would happen. As time progressed, Joe noticed that Nancy was starting to have a hard time breathing. He too noticed the thin, stale air but it was affecting her more than him. It concerned him even more that Nancy wasn't telling him the truth about her wellbeing.

"Nancy, stop," Joe replied softly after she let out a few expletives from failing yet again. "I have faith that we will get out of here but you need to rest right now. You're starting to worry me."

"Joe," Nancy heaved, "I…what if Frank didn't get out in time either?"

"He did," Joe said with confidence. He patted the floor next to him and she sat down, her breathing a bit labored. Wrapping his good arm around her shoulders, Joe felt Nancy snuggle in with him. "I have a feeling he's got something up his sleeve to get us out of here."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes as Nancy's breathing started to go back to normal though Joe could hear a slight wheeze. Her breathing slowed and he soon realized she fell asleep. As he sat there listening to her sleep, Joe could think of only one thing: how they were going to get out of the mess he caused.

 _Hurry, Frank._

* * *

Frank stared at what was left of the tunnel entrance. He didn't know what to do as he waited for help to arrive. Within a few minutes of the cave-in, and after a frantic moment where he tried to dig at the dirt, Frank placed a call to the sheriff. It was agony for him to just wait, not knowing if Joe and Nancy were alive. Sheriff Doyle gave him explicit instructions not to try to dig anymore for fear of causing another cave-in before they were even able to assess the situation.

An hour or so after Frank called, the sheriff along with several trucks and emergency crews arrived at the abandoned mine. The crews immediately began setting up tents and equipment around the collapsed tunnel entrance. Sheriff Doyle strolled slowly over to Frank, hands on her hips and a look of frustration written on her face.

"Tell me, Mr. Hardy," she replied as she stopped in front of him. "What made you think it was safe to go into a condemned, abandoned mine in the middle of nowhere?"

"My brother," Frank stated, trying his best to keep his voice intact, "overheard a conversation that was pertinent to the case we were working on for Professor Windham."

"Oh, right, the missing artifacts," she nodded, her voice having an air of slight sarcasm. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"No," Frank hung his head, remembering the argument he had with Joe and Nancy before he left them. "We came to a dead end where the tunnel had previously collapsed. We should not have been in there."

"And for good reason!" cried the sheriff. "We've told the local kids to stay out of that mine because of the possibility of a cave-in. Even they've kept away. Now we have to rescue two out-of-towners who didn't know any better. Did they have any provisions that you know of?"

Frank shook his head. "Only a couple of heavy duty flashlights. Joe was adamant about getting here quickly so we didn't have much time to grab supplies."

"Do you think they're still alive?"

"Yes, I do," Frank answered, matter-of-factly. "They were right behind me so I don't think they're more than a few hundred feet in."

"I sincerely hope so, Mr. Hardy. If they're any further back, it will be harder for us to get them out before they run out of air." Sheriff Doyle motioned a deputy over to her and gave a few orders before returning her attention back to Frank.

"I'd like to help if you'll let me," Frank replied, his face lightening. He thought it would help him concentrate better instead of dwelling on what happened. "I…I can't stand here and do nothing. Not after what I said to them. I didn't believe Joe and I was so awful to him. And to Nancy. I'll never forgive myself if anything happens to them."

She pursed her lips and nodded. Her face softened as she saw the guilt on his face. She felt sorry for the young man, knowing how tough it was on him.

"We're going to do everything we can to save your brother and your friend," Doyle replied tenderly, placing a hand on Frank's shoulder. She knew that angry last words were the hardest to get over for anyone. The sheriff didn't want to be pessimistic that the two would come out okay but the odds were stacked against them. "Don't worry. We'll get them out. Once we get to digging, you can be right there to help. We're going to need everyone we have for this one."

Frank nodded his head then looked back to where the cave entrance should be. Crews were preparing to brace the tunnel once more as they readied themselves to dig. The sheriff left him to give orders to her deputies and other emergency personnel. Frank never felt so alone than he did in that moment. He usually had Joe or even Nancy around to think things through with him, not that he couldn't do it on his own. He was just so worried about them that he couldn't think straight.

Frank sighed and looked up at the sky, saying a silent prayer. He thought about what he could have said to both of them instead being angry. What he should have said.

 _You acted like such a fool! You should have trusted him!_ _And why didn't you say anything to Nancy when you had the chance? Because you didn't come here for that. Besides, she's got Ned and you've got…no one._

Frank looked down at the ground in defeat. He was in such deep thought that he didn't hear a car roll up directly behind him or the car door slam. It wasn't until someone yelled at him that he snapped out of his demeanor.

"Hardy! What the hell are you doing here?!"

Frank closed his eyes, knowing exactly who the voice belonged to. It was the one person he didn't want to deal with at that moment. But he knew he had to with the circumstances. Frank sighed once more and turned around to face a very angry looking Ned Nickerson.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thank you so much to those who left a review for the first chapter and to those who are continuing to read the story! Have a great evening!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

 **Thank you so much for the awesome reviews! I love reading them and hearing what you think about the story so far. So onward ho! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Three

"I asked you a question, Hardy!" Ned growled, his fists flexing at his sides. Frank snapped out of his initial shock of seeing Ned in front of him and shook his head.

"Nancy asked for help," he answered. "So Joe _and_ I came to help her."

"And _I_ told you to stay away from her," Ned replied, poking a finger at him. Frank wanted nothing more than to break Ned's hand but out of respect for Nancy, he kept his cool as best he could. "You and your brother have put her in danger more times than she gets into it herself!"

"Is that the real reason, Ned? She's a grown woman for crying out loud! She can handle herself!" Frank yelled back. "Like I said, _she_ asked _us_ for help. What were supposed to do? Say 'no' because _you_ decided that you didn't want us around her? Nancy is our friend and it is her decision as to who she's with. Not yours!"

"We'll see about that." Ned looked around at the organized chaos of police officers, firemen, and EMTs then back to Frank, scowling. "I've come to take her home but I see that you've gotten her into yet another predicament that I'm sure I'll have to rescue her from again. I hope it won't take all that long though. We have a wedding to plan."

Frank's face went pale from Ned's "announcement" of his and Nancy's impending nuptials. Ned smirked at the reaction and laughed.

"Yes, that's right. She chose me. Not you. By the way, how's Callie doing? Oh, that's right. She's doing just fine…without you." Ned laughed again at Frank's face turning pale to red in a matter of seconds and walked away leaving him to stew. He didn't know how Ned even knew about Callie breaking up with him. Frank didn't even tell Nancy what happened.

"You are a piece of work, Nickerson. You know that?" Frank called to him once he regained his composure. "She may have said 'yes' to you but she won't end our friendship because of it!"

"You keep dreaming there, Hardy," Ned called without looking back.

Frank took a deep breath, his heart beating a mile a minute. At one point in time, the two of them got along even though they were never close friends. Frank almost felt that Ned tolerated him and his brother for Nancy's sake and he highly doubted that she would go along with Ned's insistence that they stay away. He wasn't even sure when everything changed that made Ned tell him off seven months before.

"I thought for a second there, I was going to have to break up a fight," replied Sheriff Doyle, walking up beside Frank. It knocked him out of his thoughts and he sighed. "In a moment of crisis, I would hate to have to put two block heads in jail for fighting over a girl."

"Sorry, Sheriff," Frank said softly, turning to her. "We just have…history."

"Well, see that your 'history' doesn't interfere with the rescue operations, Mr. Hardy," Doyle stated. "What's more important? The lives of your brother and friend or a petty rivalry. My suggestion to you is to stay away from one another."

Frank nodded his head then looked over to where Ned was speaking with a few deputies. He knew the sheriff was right but he was more concerned about what Ned was going to do. In that moment, Frank decided to avoid any confrontation with Ned as best he could, even if it meant he had to walk away from Nancy in the end.

"Good, now, Mr. Hardy, the excavators are about done so we'll know how we're going to get them out. Are you ready?"

"Yes, ma'am." The sheriff motioned for him to follow her, leading the way to a tent where a few men were standing by.

"Will Glandry and Jonas Baker, this is Frank Hardy," Doyle introduced two men, one young and the other older, respectively. The men shook hands with Frank just as he noticed Ned slipping in, a scowl etched on his face. "His brother, Joe and his friend, Nancy Drew, are the two whom we are rescuing from the mine."

"And I'm Ned Nickerson," he interjected rudely so as not to be left out. Frank rolled his eyes and shook his head at Ned's boldness. "Nancy is _my_ fiancée and I want to help in any way I can."

"Right, yes, Mr. Nickerson," replied Sheriff Doyle, clearing her throat. She turned back to the others in the tent. "Can you tell us what we can do?"

"Well, Sheriff," began Jonas. He pulled out a surveyor's map of the mine and tunnel system. "Before I say anything, I need a little more information from Mr. Hardy." He turned to Frank. "Exactly what happened and where were the three of you when the tunnel eventually collapsed."

"The three of us went into the tunnel searching for stolen artifacts," Frank stated, studying the map. He pointed to a portion of the map marked "Dead End." "That's where we stopped. Joe said the two men were going to be moving the stolen goods from the mines. We just followed the tunnel until we came to the dead end."

"There's a large cavern right next to that dead end. Do you think they may have gotten in there?" asked Jonas.

"No, we didn't see a large cavern there," Frank replied, looking confused. "I left them abruptly when...we had an argument so they may have found it. I'm not sure."

"It's okay. You wouldn't necessarily have seen the cavern anyway, Mr. Hardy," Jonas replied, pointing to the map. "There's a secret door that was installed when it was still a mine. You have to be searching really closely to find the lever. The area was to be used as a storage area for the miners. If what you say is true, the thieves picked possibly the best place to hide their goods since no one comes out here anymore. Your brother and Miss Drew could have found the cavern after you left. Are you sure they wouldn't have ended up in there instead of near the entrance to the tunnel after the collapse?"

"I don't think so. They were right behind me when the tunnel came down. I saw them maybe a couple hundred feet back, I think." Frank rubbed his head trying to remember everything. He heard Ned scoff behind him but the others in the tent ignored it.

"Well, if that's the case, we're in luck," Jonas smiled. "If they're only a few hundred feet in, it shouldn't take us more than a few hours to get through. That's if there's an air pocket where they're at. Worst case scenario is that they were buried completely but as of right now, we are going in on the assumption that they are stuck in an air pocket."

"How much air do you think they have left though?" Frank asked.

"It's hard to say," replied Will, speaking for the first time. "My guess is about another 3-4 hours on top of the two hours since the collapse. It may be less though if the air pocket they're in is filled with sulfur gas. That would cut their air in half. Any digging they do, could bring that gas in. Same thing goes for us. It's a chance we are just going to have to take."

"This is all your fault, Hardy!" Ned yelled, his anger finally boiling over after listening to everything. "She had better come out of this alive or I swear to God…"

"My brother is in there too, Ned!" cried Frank. "Don't you think I don't know it's my fault! I'm already taking it hard and I don't need YOU to remind me every thirty seconds!"

"That is enough, Mr. Hardy, Mr. Nickerson!" Sheriff Doyle yelled, stepping in front of the two men. "I've already spoken to you, Mr. Hardy. Do I need to remind you of what we spoke about? The same thing goes for you, Mr. Nickerson! We are not here to measure how big your egos are! Stay focused on the task at hand and for God's sake, stay away from each other! Or I'll throw both your asses in jail! Understand?"

Ned glared at Frank who in turn stared back with less intensity. After an awkward silence, Ned threw his hands in the air and stormed out of the tent. Doyle turned her attention back to Jonas and Will, both of whom looked dumbfounded at the hostility between the younger men.

"When can we start, gentlemen?"

* * *

Nancy awoke to perfect darkness around her. She couldn't even see her hand in front of her face and at first she panicked in the dark. Nancy soon realized where she was when she felt a body shift next to her. She figured Joe turned off his flashlight to conserve the batteries over a long period of time.

"Joe?"

"Hmm?" came a voice in the dark.

"You awake?"

"If you consider me answering you as awake then yes, I am awake." Even in the darkness, Nancy jabbed him in the gut with her elbow. "Okay, okay. Bad joke. I guess the nightmare is still real, huh?"

"Yeah." Nancy shifted slightly, moving her body out from under Joe's arm. He grunted then flicked on the flashlight, illuminating the dark tunnel. They both squinted as their eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. "How's the arm, Joe?"

"Still painful," he answered, touching his arm gently. He noticed she still had a wheeze but she continued to downplay the seriousness of it. Joe scanned the area as if looking to see if an exit miraculously opened up. He felt the air had grown more stale almost as if it were dissipating which worried him even more than having an escape from the tunnel. "I think we should try to stay awake from now on. That way we can answer someone if they call for us."

"I agree," Nancy said, coughing hard. "Do you think we have enough air to last until they get here?"

"I think so but I'm no expert. We will just have to wait and see."

The two sat quietly side by side, not knowing what to say or do. After a few minutes, Joe broke the silence with a question.

"So, how have you been?"

"Good. You?"

"Ah, same old, same old," Joe shrugged.

"Is this what we are going to be doing for the next few hours because I'm already bored." Nancy looked at Joe and the two burst out laughing.

"You're right, Nan," Joe replied after their laughter died down. "What's next? Talking about the weather?"

"Hmm, I would say it's a cool 57 degrees with a slight dampness to the air. I expect rain in the future." The two went into a fit of laughter once again but stopped when Nancy started coughing hard.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Joe asked once she stopped. He gave her a stern look as an overbearing brother would before she sighed in defeat.

"My chest is hurting slightly and I'm having a hard time taking a breath," she finally said. "I didn't want to worry you because of the situation we are in. It's the last thing I want us to think about at the moment."

"Nan, you should have told me," he replied with an air of concern. "I wouldn't have let you dig the way you did. You probably did more damage than when you were covered in dirt."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Besides, there's nothing we can do about it until we get out of here."

"Okay, but from now on, you're sitting right here next to me until we're rescued. No digging. Capiche?"

"I got it." Nancy smiled as Joe leaned over and kissed her temple tenderly. "Now what?"

"Honestly, I don't know."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Frank held a shovel, slowly digging his way into the tunnel. Along with several other men, they had been working nonstop for over an hour, making a slight dent in the collapsed tunnel. Ned was helping as well, bracing the sides of the tunnel with new beams in order to make sure more dirt didn't come down on those digging. The work kept both Frank and Ned busy enough that their previous argument could not be revisited. Plus the fact that Sheriff Doyle was keeping a close eye on the two young men as they all worked, ensuring that her promise of arresting them for fighting was fresh in their minds.

To keep his mind off of Ned and what he said earlier, Frank thought about the end goal of getting Joe and Nancy out of the tunnel. He felt guilty about the whole incident with Ned and wished that he and Joe were never able to help Nancy. Then maybe this whole thing wouldn't have happened. Frank just hoped his brother will forgive him for his behavior and Nancy too. It wasn't like him to act the way he did but he was feeling a little left behind especially if he suspicions about Joe and Vanessa were true. Frank was just surprised that neither his brother nor his friend told him about the recent life changing developments in their personal lives. He didn't understand why Nancy didn't say anything about being engaged to Ned or the fact that she wore the ring around her neck and not on her finger. Whatever the case may be for Nancy, Frank was going to let her make her own decision about Ned's "decree" and walk away if she asked him to. He respected her too much to force himself into her life even if she wanted him there.

"You okay, Frank?" asked a nearby worker. Frank was staring at the ground and had been digging at the same spot for a few minutes. Ned stole a glance for a split second before returning his attention to the beam he was holding up.

"What? Oh, I was just thinking," he answered the concerned onlooker.

"Hey, no worries, man," replied the worker. He patted Frank's shoulder in understanding. "We'll get there and everything will turn out okay in the end. Just have faith."

"I do, it's just the time getting there is the problem," Frank smiled. "I know they're alive but I keep thinking the worst, especially if we don't get to them in time."

"Like I said, keep the faith."

The two men went back to work, with Frank pushing himself harder, sweat pouring down his face. What he didn't notice was Ned, who rather than scowling at the exchange, looked down at the ground in grief. He wished he had Frank's faith and strength but other thoughts kept coming into his mind. Ned was angry at himself for the things he had done. He just hoped Nancy will forgive him.

* * *

"What's your favorite food?" Joe asked after what seemed like a lifetime of silence.

"Only you, Joe, would ask that question at a time like this," Nancy laughed. "Besides, you've known me long enough to know that is."

"Well, you know me, Nan," Joe smiled, "everything is about food in my opinion. Mine's pizza."

"Figures." Nancy rolled her eyes and sighed. "Hannah's Pot Roast."

"I think anything made by Hannah is a favorite," Joe laughed. His stomach let out a giant rumble in hunger and the two broke out in laughter. Nancy started coughing suddenly, changing the mood. "I guess I should have brought a snack. Let's not talk about food again."

"Yes, let's not," Nancy smiled softly. Joe could see the pain in her eyes though she didn't say anything. "Change the subject."

"Okay, how about politics?"

"Joe!" Nancy coughed.

"Got it. No politics either." Joe leaned his head back against the wall and thought. He knew he needed to think of something before they both fell asleep. "Okay, what's your favorite scary movie?"

"What are you from 'Scream' or something?" Nancy looked at him with a smile and shook her head. "I'll bite. 'Woman in Black.'"

"You totally threw me a curveball on that one because I have no idea what movie you're talking about."

"I'm surprised since it's right up your alley with being totally creepy." When Joe continued giving her a blank look, Nancy sighed. "It's a classic ghost story in a haunted house. You know I love a good mystery and it had that feeling throughout the whole movie. The twist at the end was just as great."

"Can you tell me anything more about it?" Joe asked his interest peaked. "You know, just in case."

"Oh, no," Nancy smiled mischievously. "We're getting out of here and we'll watch it together. I'm not giving you any hints. Now, you tell me yours."

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Oh, hence the whole 'What's your favorite scary movie?' How original."

"No, I was thinking more along the lines of 'Scary Movie.'"

"Um, that's not a scary movie, per se. More along the lines of brainless comedy. Besides, they didn't say that line in the movie."

"Yeah they did! That was the whole joke of the movie!"

Nancy started coughing again. She leaned forward, trying to get the cough out of her system as Joe lightly patted her back. "I'm not going to argue with…you about a pointless movie," she replied, her breathing becoming more labored. "Besides the 'Waz up?!' parts of the movie, it was awful."

"Okay, then give me a quote and I'll figure it out," Joe asked, trying to keep her mind on something else.

"Alright…'Why a spoon, cousin?'"

"'Because it's dull, you twit. It'll hurt more!'" Joe concluded. "Come on, Nan. You can do better than 'Robin Hood.'"

"Oh, this coming from someone who took a quote from…one of the most popular horrors films of all time."

"You got me there. How 'bout this one: 'The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world he didn't exist.'" Joe looked at Nancy and waited.

"I have no clue," Nancy sighed. "I've heard it before but…I'm not sure where."

The two got quiet again, their movie talk running dry. Nancy closed her eyes and coughed slightly. Joe stole a glance at her, noticing the sweat beading on her forehead and the paleness in her skin. She was having a harder and harder time drawing breath but he knew he needed to keep her talking so she'd stay awake until a rescue came.

"So, anything new happening in your life that I _don't_ know about?" Joe gave her a questioning stare. Nancy snorted and shook her head. Before she could start though, she began coughing hard, her breathing coming in heaves.

"You good for now?" Joe asked when she was done.

"I think so but it's getting…worse," Nancy replied softly. "I'm afraid the next time I won't be able to stop."

"Maybe by then, we'll be rescued," Joe said hopefully.

"Maybe."

"Okay, you going to answer me?" Joe asked. Nancy took a deep breath before answering.

"Six months ago, Ned proposed." Joe smiled broadly though Nancy kept her face flat. "I couldn't believe he finally did it. We had been talking about it for quite some time."

"That's awesome, but I don't see a ring."

Nancy sighed and pulled out a necklace from beneath her tank top. She looked at what was hanging from the chain before showing Joe. He whistled loud as the beam from the flashlight made the solitaire diamond ring sparkle.

"Wow. Now that's a ring but correct me if I'm wrong here but isn't an engagement ring supposed to be on your finger?"

"I know that, Joe."

"What, did you say 'no' or something?"

Nancy gave him an incredulous look. "Of course I said 'yes!' It was the happiest moment of my life. I was on cloud nine for at least a month or so."

"You sound like Vanessa."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing."

"That's not nothing, Joe Hardy. Are you telling me you're engaged?" Nancy looked shocked and excited at the same time.

"Not exactly."

"Oh, come on! You wouldn't have said it if you didn't know it!"

"Let's get back to your story," Joe said, trying to avert the conversation back to her.

"Nope, not until you tell me." Nancy folded her arms and stared at him, her breathing somewhat going back to normal. She coughed lightly but Joe knew she wouldn't budge until he said something.

"Fine. I haven't even told my own family this, including Frank, which might be the reason why he's mad at me. Oh, wait that's Cal…nevermind."

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Joe Hardy, you better spill your guts or I…"

"Okay, okay! Two months ago, Vanessa and I went to Vegas on a semi-unplanned trip."

"A semi-unplanned trip? To Vegas?" She was quiet for a few seconds before her eyes went wide. "You didn't!"

"That was the unplanned part."

"You're _married_?!" Nancy was shocked to hear about Joe's announcement but even more shocked when he nodded his head. "Why haven't you told anyone?"

"I don't know." He pulled out a ring that was in his jean pocket and tried to slide it onto his finger with his bad arm. Nancy took it from him and stared at it for a moment then helped him put it on. "It wasn't my idea to not say anything, but she insisted because of her mother. I told Van that we shouldn't wait too long, that someone was bound to figure it out. I'm not surprised at all that you did. We've been living together for a year now and everyone knew we were going to get married at some point but she wanted to keep it a secret. Still trying to figure that one out. Must be a woman thing."

Nancy slapped him upside the head before she asked: "Do you think that's why Frank was so angry with you?"

"No, um...Callie broke up with him three weeks ago," Joe said sadly, looking down at his hands. He felt guilty that he was the one telling Nancy about his brother's breakup but he knew Frank would have a hard time telling her. "He says he's over her but I don't think so. Not in three weeks."

"Did she say why?" Nancy asked, her heart fluttering slightly. She cleared her throat as he continued.

"No, but Frank said he had a feeling that she found someone else she wasn't telling him about." Joe closed his eyes and shook his head. He realized that he should have said something to Frank about him and Vanessa the moment he came back from Vegas. Especially since Frank opened up his heart to him about Callie, which was a hard thing for the older Hardy to do. "I guess it's time to say something, isn't it."

"I guess it's time for both of us to be open about things," Nancy replied sadly, twirling her ring between her fingers.

"Why _are_ you wearing the ring around your neck?" Joe asked tenderly.

"It's to remind me of what could have been." Nancy sighed. "I didn't come to Arizona for a case. I came here to get away."

"Away from what?"

"My life."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thank you to everyone who has left a review for the last chapter. And yes, Ned is a douche. I don't think it will get better for him either (sorry!). Anyway, I'm thinking that there are just a few more chapters left in the story. I intended it to be rather short from the very beginning. Also, kuddos to anyone who can figure out what movie that quote came from! I always liked that one! Pretty much every movie mentioned, with exception to 'Scary Movie,' are my personal favorites. Also if you haven't seen 'Woman in Black' with Daniel Radcliffe, I suggest you rent it. It is one of the creepiest movies out there without having all the special effects or gore to make it so. Plus its Daniel Radcliffe, come on! The movie conversation was just a little filler before we got to the more juicier stuff which continues on into the next chapter, so, don't miss out on reading more! Please don't forget to review and I'll see you next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:**

 **This chapter is all Nancy and Joe. As I was writing this one, it turned out to be longer than expected so I had to shorten it somewhat. Thanks to all who left reviews for the last chapter! Wendylouwho10 got the quote right! It was from "The Usual Suspects" which is another great movie to see! And yes, Smithy. A Joe and Nancy relationship just seems freaky. They seem to have more of a brother-sister bond than anything which is why I wrote them like that! Hope you all enjoy this chapter and don't forget to review!**

* * *

Chapter Five

 _Five months earlier…_

 _Nancy was packing her suitcase, her eyes continually googling at the diamond ring on her finger. Although they still had yet to tell anyone about their engagement, Nancy wore the ring around her apartment and while out with Ned. She smiled softly at the thought of finally being married to the love of her life. A knock came at the apartment door, interrupting her happy thoughts._

" _Hey, beautiful," replied Ned when she opened the door. A bouquet of flowers was in his hand and a smile across his face._

" _Ned!" She jumped into his arms and planted a kiss on his lips. He followed her inside, his smile turning to a look of confusion when he noticed she was still dressed in jeans and a shirt._

" _Did you forget we were having dinner with my parents and your dad?" Ned said sadly. "We were going to tell them about our engagement at dinner, remember?"_

" _Oh, I didn't forget. Something's come up," she replied happily. "I think Dad forgot too. He said he was going out with Maria tonight."_

" _No, I think he was said he was_ _ **bringing**_ _Maria with him," Ned corrected her. He got the same text message from Mr. Drew as Nancy did._ " _Oh, right." Nancy looked a little nervous and moved back into her bedroom where the suitcase was laid out. Ned followed her into the room and stopped when he saw the scene._

" _Are you going somewhere?"_

" _Yeah, I, um, have a case. It's a paying gig." Nancy smiled hopefully but it was dashed when Ned's face went red. "I didn't get the chance to call you to let you know."_

" _You're bypassing one of the most important nights of our lives for a damn case?!" he roared. "I thought we were over this now that we're getting married. What am I supposed to tell my parents? What about your dad?"_

" _I'm sorry! It just came up within the last hour or so! I just sent Dad a message about not being able to make it." Nancy went over to her phone and noticed a message waiting for her._

 _"What did he say about it?"_

 _"Dad's fine with it. He understands. He's happy to be alone with Maria anyway." Nancy looked at Ned and hung her head._ _She could tell he was upset over the sudden change._ _This was the first test of her loyalty to Ned and she failed it utterly. "We can do it again when I get back."_

" _And how long will that be, Nan? A couple of days? A week? Two?" Ned sighed and looked away, the flowers drooping with his mood. "It took weeks for us to plan this since we had to wait until your dad was done with the trial. And now we have to wait even longer to tell them?! When is this going to stop!?"_

 _"When's what going to stop?"_

 _"THIS!" Ned yelled. "Our lives being disrupted by your cases! These people can get help from somewhere else, Nancy! Not from you! Now that we're finally getting married, I thought that you understood that! We've discussed this last week, remember?"_

" _Discussed what? That I wasn't going to continue my cases anymore,_ _ **after**_ _we got married?" Nancy's anger was rising just as quickly as Ned's. "I never agreed to it and said we would discuss it more at a later time. What you want me to do is not what_ _ **I**_ _want to do! You know how much I love helping people!"_

" _Then be a volunteer somewhere! I make more than enough money that you don't have to work! What are you going to do when we have kids? Take them with you? That'll work out well when you have to catch a thief! I love you, Nancy. More than anything in this world but this childish nonsense of going out and solving crimes that the police can handle has got to stop!"_

"' _Childish nonsense?'" Nancy couldn't believe what she was hearing. She understood that Ned was upset about her leaving for a case when they were about to announce their engagement but the remark hurt her just as much. "Is that what you think I'm doing? I'm not doing this for nothing. I'm doing this because it's what I love to do! I thought you understood that and were supportive of me!"_

" _I am supportive but I worry about you all the time, Nancy! I thought that when I asked you to marry me, you'd stay home and take care of the house."_

" _And do what else?" Nancy put her hands on her hips. "Clean the house? Join a book club? Make sure dinner is set on the table for you when you get home from work? Is that it?"_

" _Yes! It's what I thought_ _ **you**_ _wanted too! To be a housewife and settle down with a family! Is that too much to ask?"_

 _"I want kids, believe me! But I'm not giving up what I love to do before we even get married. " Nancy cried. "I have told you before that being a housewife isn't for me!If that's what you want then maybe you should find someone who will!" Nancy got quiet and went about packing in silence as Ned looked on._

 _"You're not going," he ordered. Nancy shook her head defiantly. "I don't want you getting yourself into trouble that you can't get out of."_

" _Ned, I can take care of myself," Nancy replied. "I don't need you to dictate my life before or after we get married."_

" _You are not going!" Ned yelled, grabbing her by the wrist. "That's my final say, Nancy!"_

" _I suggest you take your hand off of me before you regret it," Nancy replied slowly through gritted teeth. Ned let go of her wrist and watched as she folded up the filled suitcase once she finished packing. "I have to get to the airport. We'll talk about this when I return."_

" _Fine," Ned snarled, walking out of her bedroom. Nancy jumped when she heard the door slam. Trembling slightly, she sat down on her bed and wept softly, the flowers lay crumpled on the floor beside her._

* * *

"I felt horrible but I didn't get to say anything more until after I returned from my trip," Nancy stated sadly. She still felt bad about the whole ordeal though other thoughts crept into her head. "Dad was okay with the last minute cancellation as were Ned's parents. Only Ned himself had an issue with it. I had never seen him so angry before and when I saw him again, he seemed distant but he didn't bring up the subject again. We never made the official announcement for our engagement either so I'm not even sure what is going on anymore."

"What made him act like that anyway?" Joe asked. Although he and Frank were always cordial to Ned, there was always an underlying current that felt weird between them. It was most especially between Ned and Frank and even more so when it came to Nancy. Joe remembered the phone call Frank received seven months before and the reaction his brother had with Ned telling them to stay away from her.

"I'm not sure but I feel it had something to do with a case I had that turned out badly. I was in the hospital for a week and he was by my side the whole time." Nancy coughed lightly, her throat parched from talking so much. "He also was having some issues at work that were becoming stressful for him and I guess he didn't want to have to worry about me on top of that."

"But that doesn't give him the right to tell you what to do or to treat you like crap," Joe said cautiously. He wasn't sure if Nancy was still going to marry Ned but Joe sure as wanted to kick the guy's butt for treating her so poorly.

"I know but I began thinking that I should just give up being a private investigator," Nancy replied sadly, looking down at her hands. "I loved Ned so much and I didn't want to lose him over it but now I'm not so sure anymore."

"Nancy Drew letting go of being a private detective?" Joe asked incredulously. "Like you said, you love helping people. It's what you're really good at. That's what everyone really loves about you, Nan and any detective agency would kill to have you with them. Even Dad has said he wanted to offer you a job but after the phone call we had from Ned a few months ago, it changed everything."

"What phone call?" Nancy asked, taken aback.

"Oh, crap."

"Joe."

He sighed and looked down, searching for the right words. He went on and told her about the phone conversation between Ned and Frank. As he continued, Joe realized that she never knew of Ned's meddling once again with her personal life.

"What he said to Frank, I figured it extended to me as well. Ned said he was tired of us putting you in danger and that you needed to put away 'childish' things."

"He wouldn't," Nancy whispered, though she felt it was true since it was the same thing Ned told her. "That would explain why I haven't heard from either of you for several months."

"Yup," Joe nodded his head. "Frank didn't want to interfere with your life anymore so we tried to sever ties as best we could. Then you called a few days ago and it completely took us by surprise. Frank dropped everything and we rushed out here. His attitude changed right after we arrived though."

"How so?"

"Well, he was already sulking about Callie and I have a feeling that he suspected Van and I got married," Joe replied. As he looked at Nancy, he could tell the wheels were turning in her mind but he wasn't sure as to what she was thinking about.

"Do you think he found out about my engagement somehow?"

"Maybe. I did fall asleep right after we got settled. When I woke up, he was brooding. You know how he is."

Nancy sat quietly, thinking of everything she just heard. She didn't want to tell Joe that she was in New York just three weeks before with the intention of going to see the brothers. But she something came up and she left for Arizona soon after. The room was quiet with not much noise other than their breathing. Then she heard it again. It was the sound of someone's voice. Nancy looked over at the area where it was coming from and soon noticed the dirt falling as if someone were digging.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:**

 **Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out! Weekends are super busy with the family so writing is not given much time even though I already had most of this chapter typed up. That saying, thank you to all who left amazing reviews for the last chapter! I know I have probably pissed off several people with Nancy's little "job above family" attitude along with Ned's continuing buttheadedness (yes, I made up that word but I wanted to keep it clean). I think that this chapter will clear up a few things and hopefully make amends to those who are mad at me. As to the person who suggested that I write reviews for other stories (not mad at you by the way and thank you for being honest), I have been trying to get my name out there lately by writing reviews. I just sometimes don't want to sound like a complete idiot when I write a review (self confidence is not my forte) plus the fact that I don't read everything that comes up (a 5-year-old and an infant don't necessarily let me read at times!). Thank you again for the constructive criticism. I do appreciate everything that people have to say about my work. Enjoy the chapter and again, don't forget to review!**

* * *

Chapter Six

"Are you okay to continue, Frank?" asked Sheriff Doyle, when Frank briefly stopped. All of the men and women in the hollowed out tunnel were sweaty, each one of them visibly tired. Frank didn't want to stop. Just moments before, he could have sworn he faintly heard Joe's voice but the noise around him eventually drowned it out. Even Ned felt the urgency and was helping with the digging, the two men working together for a common goal even though the tension was still apparent.

"I'm not stopping, Sheriff," he huffed as he started digging again. "They're alive and we're close."

As if in answer to his remark, Frank poked through an air pocket as dirt stopped coming out. Frank looked at Ned, who licked his lips nervously and the two dropped their shovels to use their hands. As Frank continued to dig, a hand from within the hole grabbed a hold of his wrist. He stopped abruptly just as their hands clasped together tightly, but it wasn't Joe. It was Nancy, the hand delicate but dirty.

"Well, I'll be," the sheriff replied, shocked. She turned around and yelled down the tunnel. "Let's get some help down here! Now!"

Frank let go off her hand and began digging more vigorously with Nancy helping from the other side. Ned scowled next to him, jealous that Nancy reached out to Frank and not him. He shook his head and began helping Frank open up the tunnel more. Within minutes the opening was big enough that Joe, whom Nancy insisted on getting out first, then Nancy stepped out of what could have been their tomb. Frank wrapped his arms around Joe, to emotional to say anything more than "I'm sorry." With his good arm, Joe squeezed his brother tightly, knowing that he had finally come for him.

Behind them, Ned helped Nancy out of the hole but it took her a moment to realize who he was. Before she could say anything though, he gave her a fierce, tight hug. He went to kiss her but she turned away, too surprised that he was even there. As they all walked out of the tunnel, a loud cheer erupted around them with smiles all around. Nancy coughed hard again, her lungs spent from digging again but she felt that the fresh air would help her breathing and the pain in her chest would go away.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Sheriff Doyle asked as they all came to a stop just inside the tent.

Joe and Nancy looked at each other, a knowing glance passing between them. It wasn't just the stolen artifacts that they found but a bond that strengthened and a sense of realism they never felt before. Nancy reached into her pocket and pulled out the necklace, the jewels glittering in the sunlight. Frank hung his head, guilt coursing through him. Joe had been right and Frank hadn't trusted his only brother. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over to see Joe smiling at him. He knew his brother had already forgiven him.

"There's more in the cavern if you can reach it," Joe replied, turning to the sheriff. "All of the missing artifacts from Professor Windham's dig plus more that we don't know where they came from."

"I'll get some help on investigating this," the sheriff said, smiling. She turned to Frank. "You've proved me wrong, Mr. Hardy. Not very many people can do that. You two are lucky to have these gentlemen care about you. Thanks again."

The four watched the sheriff walk away, motioning for a deputy to follow her back into the tunnel. She was going to lead the way in recovering the stolen artifacts. Without looking at either Hardy, Ned draped his arm over Nancy's shoulders and led her over to his rental. Behind Nancy's back, Ned turned back to Frank and smirked, Joe giving a confused look. Frank shook his head and turned away as Joe continued to watch the couple walk away.

When they were almost to the vehicle, Nancy shrugged off Ned's arm and turned toward him. He stood tall in front of her, readying himself for what was coming next.

"What do you think you are doing?" Nancy asked, folding her arms in front of her. She could feel a cough coming on, her chest hurting but she remained stoic.

"I thought it was obvious," Ned said casually. "I've come to take you home. Whatever is going on between us, we can work it out. I want to marry you no matter what."

Nancy stood there for a few minutes, thinking as to what she would say next. While she was trapped in the tunnel with Joe, she told him most of what had transpired between her and Ned, but not everything. She kept a lot of it to herself, her heart still working through what had happened between her and Ned. What surprised Nancy most though was Ned coming for her after all this time. She didn't expect him to be there at all.

"I don't know if it's what I want though, Ned," Nancy finally said, never taking her eyes off him.

"But Nancy, I…"

"Let me finish," she replied, holding her hand up. Ned got quiet quickly, keeping his anger in check for the moment. "When we got engaged, I was so happy. I never thought we would have any major problems even though I knew arguments would eventually arise. Every couple goes through it. The day I left for that case, I felt terrible for leaving everyone high and dry, including you even though you were the reason why I took that case in the first place."

"What are you talking about?" Ned growled. "You're saying _I'm_ to blame for this?"

"That's not what I'm saying!" Nancy cried, tears beginning to form. "You're not letting me finish!"

"Fine, continue," he snapped, folding his arms in front of him.

"I was actually offered the job two days before and turned it down knowing that I would miss one of the most important nights of my life. I didn't want to take the job at all because I knew it would essentially affect our entire life together. Trust and loyalty was something that we both wanted in our marriage. When we met for breakfast earlier that day, you left your cell phone on the table when you left to pay the bill," Nancy replied. "A text message came up."

Ned closed his eyes, remembering that day vividly but hoping she hadn't seen the message at the time.

"I figured it was nothing, maybe a wrong number," Nancy continued, her confidence rising. "But I soon realized it wasn't. After that text message, I couldn't think straight and I thought about confronting you but I then thought I was overreacting. I was torn between emotions but then you brought up the subject of me not taking any more cases. It hurt me that you thought very little of my profession and who I truly am. I called Dad and told him everything, including the text message. Dad agreed that I should take the case anyway and he understood. I needed the time to think so I took the case."

Ned huffed, clearly angry for hearing that Carson Drew knew everything and didn't say a word about it. "No wonder your father was reserved that night when we went out to dinner."

"Yes, and you _still_ told them we were getting married, _without me_ ," Nancy said. Ned looked surprised at this. "And yes, he told me about the dinner that you went and had anyway with our families. You also told them it was my last case, without even consulting me about it. It took Dad by surprise that you even said it after the conversation he had with me earlier. When I closed the case and returned home, I wanted to talk to you about everything, including that text message. I wanted to see what we could work out but you kept changing the subject each time. You made it sound like your life and your job was more important than anything I had to say. You just wouldn't listen so I thought maybe I would show you that I could drop my cases and be normal. And I did. You never noticed and it hurt. I volunteered at the teen shelter and mentored some of the kids there. You didn't notice. I did _everything_ you wanted me to do after we got married but you _never_ noticed. Although I love helping those kids, I just can't bring myself to not doing what I love most and that is being a private investigator. And I can't bring myself to being with someone who violated the trust and loyalty part of our relationship. I've thought about it a lot but being trapped in this tunnel made me see what I needed to see within myself to move on."

"Nancy, that text message was completely innocent. You can't blame me for everything in this." Ned defended. "I had mentioned to her about my proposal to you. She was just congratulating me and wishing that her boyfriend would do the same. I assure you though, it was completely innocent."

"Is it still? She literally wished it was her who you proposed to!" Nancy replied, the tears coming down her face. She was getting herself worked up and she could feel her chest starting to hurt again. "I can't bring myself to believe you and I'm not going to do this anymore. I know what you did."

"Oh and what would that be?" Ned cried, placing his hands on his hips.

"You broke my heart, Ned."

* * *

Across the way from Nancy and Ned, Joe was watching the exchange between the couple while Frank stood a few paces away, trying to ignore it. The older Hardy wanted nothing more than to go over and give Ned a piece of his mind in the hopes that Nancy would come back with him. But Joe stopped him, telling his brother that they couple needed to talk on their own and Nancy didn't need any rescuing this time. Frank sulked for a bit, remembering the smirk that Ned shot him as he guided Nancy away. He heard Joe say something but didn't understand what was said.

"What was that, Joe?"

"Just an observation." Joe shrugged, his eyes still glued to the couple. Suddenly he walked over to Nancy and Ned, leaving Frank behind in surprise. As Joe approached, he could clearly see that Nancy was upset but in pain at the same time. The couple was silent as Joe gently put his good arm around Nancy and gave her a small smile. "Hey, Nan," he said softly. "The EMTs want to check you out before you go anywhere."

Ned glared at the two as Joe guided Nancy over to the waiting ambulance. The Hardy brother turned as they walked and glared right back at him.

"Thanks, Joe," Nancy replied softly as they walked away. She coughed once more just before the EMTs helped her into the ambulance. "I needed to get away from him."

"I know," Joe said as he sat down next to her in the ambulance. "I don't think Frank is going to be very happy with me though."

"Why's that?"

"Because I told him to back off and I didn't."

"Well, you can talk to him later."

"Yeah, I feel the need to talk to him anyway."

The two got quiet, watching the EMTs check their vitals and were told they would be taken to the hospital for more observation. Through all this, Nancy and Joe could see Frank and Ned standing nearby but several feet apart from one another, the tension pulsating the air. Neither Nancy nor Joe wanted the others with them on their journey to the hospital because of the tension. Nancy leaned her head against Joe's shoulder and held the oxygen mask to her face.

"Joe?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what, Nan?"

"For not telling you everything."

"It's okay. You can tell me all about it later."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:**

 **Hey everyone! I hope that everyone's week is going well. Thank you to all of those who left the wonderful reviews for the last chapter! I'm glad that you are enjoying this one. We are almost done as this is probably the penultimate chapter before we're done. There will probably be an epilogue to go along with it. You know me, I love to close the story in some way. I was also thinking that this may be the beginning of a new series but I'm not sure as of yet. Anyway, this is a very long chapter but I couldn't find the right place to leave a break for another chapter so bear with me on this one! I will leave you at that and will wish everyone many blessings this Easter weekend. And if you don't celebrate Easter, may you still have blessings! Have a great weekend everyone! Enjoy and don't forget to review!**

* * *

Chapter Seven

"Mr. Hardy?" called the nurse as she entered the waiting area. Frank looked up at her from where he sat. Across the way, Ned leaned against the wall, his arms folded in front of him. He sniffed in annoyance and narrowed his eyes, watching Frank intently. "Your brother would like to speak with you."

"Thank you," Frank rose quickly, practically running down the hall. He could hear Ned behind him, asking the nurse about seeing Nancy. Same as the last time Ned asked, the nurse rejected him. Nancy still didn't want to see him, or anyone else for that matter, causing the man to be exceptionally grumpy to the staff around the hospital.

Walking just a few doors down, something caught his eye and Frank stopped outside a door. Through the small window of the door, he could see Nancy standing near the window, staring out as if deep in thought. He wanted to talk to her more than anything but knew he should respect Nancy's wish of not wanting to see anyone. His time would just have to wait. Stepping away, Frank went to the very next room where he saw Joe sitting on his bed, a remote control in his hand. He still felt guilty for everything that happened. He couldn't believe that he let his own petty jealousies cloud his judgment and Joe and Nancy suffered for it. Sighing, Frank lightly rapped on the door and walked in.

"Frank! Hey!" Joe cried, excitedly. He turned the TV off and flopped the remote back onto the bed beside him. "I'm glad the nurse passed on my message to you! I'm so bored!"

"I'm sure you are," Frank said with a forced smile. "How's it going?"

"Oh, it's nothing I can't handle. Just a broken wrist. I'll be fine but it would have been better if I didn't have to stay overnight."

"You know how it is, Joe," Frank laughed, his mood changing a little at Joe's enthusiasm. "They just want to make sure you're okay."

"Yeah, but I hate hospitals!" Joe sighed. "And they hate me! I swear I get the same kind of nurse everywhere I go. Why couldn't I get a cute one or at least one who's not a 'Nurse Ratchett!'"

"Call it karma, Joe. And I'll be sure to let Vanessa know your thoughts on nurses the next times I see her."

"She'd laughed it off because she knows I still come home to her."

"I'm sure she would." Frank got quiet and looked down at his hands, unable to express what he wanted to say to Joe.

"Frank, it's okay. I don't blame you for any of this."

"I know but it if hadn't been for me, you wouldn't have ended up being in that cave-in."

"Dude, you know good and well that if you were with us when the tunnel came down, no one would have known we were even there and none of us would be here," Joe replied, thoughtfully. "There is always a reason why things happen and our situation turned out for the best in the end anyway."

Frank nodded his head but still didn't look up at his brother. He knew it was time.

"When were you going to tell me?"

"About what?" Joe asked, confused. Frank pursed his lips and stared at Joe for a moment. "Oh, that. How did you know?"

"That day I came by a few weeks ago to tell you about Callie." Joe nodded his head in understanding as Frank continued. "When you answered the door, you were wearing your wedding band but I didn't say anything. I thought I was seeing something because the next moment, it was gone."

"Yeah, I hoped you didn't see that. Vanessa and I agreed not to tell anyone. She was worried her mother would be upset because she wanted Vanessa to have a formal ceremony."

"You went to Vegas, Joe. What else was anyone supposed to think?"

"We had no intention of getting married there though!" Joe defended. "But we realized it was what we really wanted and Van thought it would be more romantic to elope the way we did."

"Don't tell me, you had Elvis do your ceremony."

"Oh, hell no! It was a bona fide, real life ceremony. She even bought a gown and I wore a suit. Do you honestly think I'd get married in a t-shirt and jeans by a guy dressed up as a dead man? Geesh, I'm not that bad." Joe took a bite of a burger that was sitting on the tray table and scrunched his face up in disgust. "Oh, that's just nasty. Hospitals can never get a burger right, can they? Anyway, we'll have a real ceremony next year on the same date to give our family the chance to see us get married."

The two got quiet with Joe trying a few of his now cold fries and giving the same look he had for the burger. Frank leaned over and took a fry himself, his face turning to disgust.

"You're right. That is bad." The two brothers laughed as Joe pushed the tray away from him. "I'll sneak a real burger and fries in for you later."

"So, you're not mad at me anymore over the whole thing with Vanessa?" Joe asked hopefully.

"Why should I be? I was mad at you at first, Joe," Frank sighed. "Especially for not telling me. I mean, we've been close since we were kids and it felt like you couldn't trust me with that secret. You know I wouldn't have said anything. And I'm sorry I've been such a prick lately. After I saw Nancy's engagement ring in her room when we arrived, I kind of felt I was getting left in the dust by the two of you. Callie had just broken up with me and it hurt, though honestly, I'm not torn up about it as much as I was about Nancy. I just thought…"

"That you two would eventually get together?"

"Well, yeah but I didn't want her to be the rebound. It ruins relationships. I've already decided to let her go anyway. She is supposed to be with Ned even if I hate it more than anything. He doesn't deserve her and she should have someone who will love her for who she is. But I don't want to break up her happiness for my own selfish reasons."

"You've thought about that long and hard, haven't you?" Joe asked. Frank nodded.

"It's up to her to decide what best for her life." Frank looked down at his hands again. "Besides, she probably doesn't feel the same about me anyway and agreed with him telling us to stay away."

"See, that's where you're wrong, Frank," Joe shook his head. "Ned is a douche and had no right to tell us what to do when it comes to Nancy. She didn't even know about it and I think it hurt her. In truth, she was coming to see us three weeks ago as a surprise because she was worried about us for not even calling her. But she said something came up that she had to change her plans and Nancy ended up here in Arizona."

"But I thought the case opened up after she arrived."

"It did. She came here to get away." Joe stopped and thought for a moment. He didn't want to tell Frank much of anything else Nancy revealed in the tunnel because he knew it wasn't his place to do so. But something had been nagging at him since their rescue and he felt there was more to the story that Nancy had yet to reveal. "Whatever is going on with her, Nancy will let us know when she's ready. How is she anyway?"

"I don't know," Frank shrugged. "She doesn't want any visitors, especially Ned. You have no idea how hard it is to stay away from him in a waiting area no bigger than this room. He keeps trying to pick a fight with me by blaming us for Nancy being in the hospital again. When he's not doing that, Ned's harassing the nearest nurse in the hopes one of them didn't get the message that Nancy didn't want visitors. Good thing these people have a lot of patience or he would have been kicked out a long time ago. All I know about Nancy is that her father will be here tomorrow and that she'll be leaving when he gets here. Oh, and the fact that she's next door to you."

"How'd you find this out?"

"When Ned took a phone call and left, I eavesdropped on the nurses who were talking more freely since Ned left." Before Frank could say anything else, his phone began to ring. He sighed when he saw who it was.

"What is it?" Joe asked, raising his eyebrow.

"It's Callie," Frank replied with slight irritation. "She's been blowing up my phone for several hours now."

"Why haven't you answered it yet?"

"Because I'm not in the mood to deal with her crap right now," Frank huffed. "She's begging me to take her back, that she was sorry for dumping me. At least that's what I gather from the blubbering she did on my voicemail. You and Nancy are more important at the moment and I wanted to make sure you both were okay."

"Yeah, but you've seen me and obviously you won't be able to see Nancy anytime soon, so just answer the phone and deal with it."

"Are you sure?"

"Go!" Joe shooed Frank away with his good arm. The moment his brother left the room, Joe scrambled from his bed and found his jeans nearby. After dressing, he cracked the door and looked out to make sure "Nurse Ratchett" wasn't around. The last thing he wanted to be chained to his bed by an overzealous nurse. Looking through the window in her door, Joe could see Nancy still sitting by the window, looking out. She wasn't paying him any attention as he silently snuck into the room.

"You know if you stare outside long enough, the scenery just might change," he said lightly.

"Joe! I didn't hear you come in! And why are you out of bed!?" she clucked after giving him a hug.

"Stop it. You sound like my nurse." He sat down in the chair across from her, making sure his broken wrist was stationary before he continued. "You know me, Nan. I don't take directions well, especially from doctors…or a friend who doesn't want to see anyone."

"I figured you would be the one to barge in here," Nancy laughed, then coughed to clear her throat. "Frank would take it literally, thinking it meant him too."

"So, you would have accepted him as a visitor?" Joe gave her a look.

"I guess," she shrugged, waving off his look. "As long as it isn't Ned, I don't care. With Dad not coming till tomorrow morning, I have to hole up in here and told the nurses I didn't want to see anyone."

"Why are they keeping you here anyway?"

"A precaution mainly," Nancy replied. "Apparently I inhaled dirt with over a hundred years mining dust and the doctors are worried I might have breathing problems. I started feeling a whole lot better though once we were out of the tunnel so I'm not worried. I feel fine." With that, she coughed again, a little harder.

"Oh, yeah, you're 'fine,'" Joe replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "You're about as fine as Ned is sane."

"He's not taking it well that I don't want to see him, is he?"

"If you think picking fights and harassing people is well, then no. Like I told Frank, you need to talk to him. Frank actually took my advice for once too."

"Oh." Nancy got quiet and turned back to the window.

"What is it, Nan? You said you didn't tell me everything. What gives?"

"I know I need to talk to Ned," she sighed, "but it's finding the right words to tell him that it's really over between us. He's probably going to go ballistic before storming out of here."

"Well, we won't know that unless you let him in here. I wouldn't mind seeing him blow his top either." Nancy laughed at him and shook her head. "Look, I'm going to do you a favor. When I leave the room, I'm going to send Ned in and you can tell him off officially. How's that sound?"

"What? Right now? Oh, no, no, no…" Nancy said, shaking her head.

"All right, then tell me what's going on. Maybe by the time you're done, you'll be ready to talk to him. Plus I need to know if I have to kick his ass in the end."

Nancy saw the look of determination on Joe's face and sighed. She wasn't going to get out of this one. "Fine. But you're not allowed to beat him up. I think I can handle that one myself if need be."

"Deal."

Nancy told Joe everything that was left out originally and told him about the argument she and Ned had after they were rescued. "That text message started everything," she said sadly. "I was naïve to believe that it was just nothing like he said. During my case, I thought that maybe he just made a new friend and I wasn't going to confront him at first. But as the months passed, he went on a lot more trips, almost three times a month for a couple of days here, a weekend there. When Bess, George, and I went to New York three weeks ago, I realized he'd been lying to me all along."

* * *

 _Three Weeks Before…_

" _Hey, George!" Bess called, rushing to catch up to her cousin and Nancy outside their hotel. "When does the show start?"_

" _For the thousandth time, Bess," George answered, exasperated, "it starts at 7. I just wanted to do a little sight-seeing before and maybe a little shopping."_

" _Wait, we're going shopping!?" cried Bess. "I don't have my shopping shoes on!"_

" _This weekend is not about you, Bess," George replied slowly. "We are here on a ladies' weekend away from home to cheer up Nancy. Right?"_

" _But I don't need cheering up," Nancy piped up. The three girls walked down Fifth Avenue, stopping every so often to look inside shop windows and taking pictures here and there._

" _Yeah, right, Nan," Bess rolled her eyes. "You've been mopey for weeks. Is everything okay between you and Ned?"_

" _We're fine," Nancy answered, averting her eyes towards the store window nearby. "We just haven't talked in a while. That's all."_

" _What's the holdup?" Bess demanded._

" _I don't know, Bess," Nancy said sadly as she stared at a jewelry display in a window. Her hand instinctively went to her necklace hidden under her shirt. "I've tried to bring up certain things but he just changes the subject. Sometimes I wonder if he's avoiding a confrontation. It doesn't help that he's gone all the time on business trips."_

" _Is he really on business trips, though?" George asked._

" _He wouldn't lie to me, George," Nancy stated though the thought crossed her mind as well. "I want to forget about it this weekend. Like you said, we're here to cheer me up so let's do just that. How about we visit Frank and Joe tomorrow? Maybe surprise them in the morning?"_

" _That sounds great, right Bess?" George looked to her cousin whose attention was centered on a couple walking hand in hand across the street from the three girls._

" _Is there something wrong?" Nancy asked. Her back was to the couple but she noticed the cousins' stare and turned around._

" _Nothing!" Bess cried, wrapping her arm around Nancy's shoulders and trying to avert friend's attention._

" _Nothing?" Nancy asked, catching a brief glimpse of the couple before George stepped in as well but it was too late. Nancy froze, her mouth open a little in shock. She looked from Bess to George then back to the couple who had just disappeared into a nice hotel. "I can't believe it."_

 _Without another word and before her friends could stop her, Nancy ran across the street. Horns honked around her as she stopped traffic, some words of profanity could be heard. She stepped into the hotel lobby and searched the surrounding area for the couple before stopping at the elevator where the two stood waiting. Once the couple stepped onto the elevator and turned around, Nancy got a full picture…of Ned with another woman. She was about to raise her arm to wave, thinking they were just friends when Ned leaned over and planted a passionate kiss on the woman's lips. Nancy's heart dropped and her breathing quickened. Just as the elevator doors closed, she also caught a glimpse of the woman, who looked vaguely familiar to Nancy._

 _Before she started to cry, Nancy walked confidently over to the hotel registration desk where a young woman stood with a smile._

" _Hi!" Nancy said as cheerfully as she could, her voice breaking slightly. "I was just wondering if you could help me out. I think I saw a friend of mine walk in here just a moment ago: tall, brown hair, brown eyes. He was with a young woman with blond hair."_

" _Oh, yes, Miss," the woman said, her smile broadening. "That was Mr. and Mrs. Dunham. They are the sweetest people to come through here in a long time. Would you like to leave a message for them?"_

" _Uh, no," Nancy replied sadly, shaking her head. She was shocked to hear Ned's mother's maiden name but upset even more at the prospect of what he was doing there with the other woman. "I guess I was mistaken. Thank you."_

" _You're welcome." The woman's demeanor changed since she could see that Nancy was clearly upset. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"_

" _Um, no, thank you again." Nancy turned away, heading back toward the main entrance. For a brief moment, she thought about staying in the lobby until Ned came down again to confront him but she rushed out instead. Pushing her way past Bess and George who were waiting for her, Nancy walked a few paces outside the hotel before stopping and completely breaking down into tears. Strangers walked by without a second glance to her, ignoring the sobbing woman as she looked around for way to get everything she just saw out of her head. Though she heard her friends call her name several times, Nancy ignored them and began running until she came to her own hotel. She packed her bag quickly, unable to want to continue her mini-vacation, and called her father. Nancy asked him if his professor friend was still in need of help at his archeological dig. After booking the next flight to Arizona, Nancy left a note for her friends at the main desk and left for the airport._

* * *

Nancy got quiet as Joe took in her story. She was crying but she held her head high, relieved she finally got everything off her chest. She knew she was ready to confront Ned. Joe, on the other hand, clenched and unclenched his fist, angry that Ned had done something so heartless to a woman like Nancy. He always looked at her as if she were his own sister and wanted to take her pain away in any way he could.

"What are you going to do now?" Joe finally asked, looking up at her. Nancy swiped the tears from her face and sniffled. She took a deep breath and looked out the window again.

"It's time I end this with Ned," she sighed. "I don't want you to tell Frank though. I want to talk to him when I'm ready. Besides, it really shouldn't come from me."

"What shouldn't come from you?" he asked, confused.

"I told you I vaguely recognized the woman Ned was with but I never actually met her before. I've just seen pictures of her." Nancy stopped, waiting for Joe to make the connection. He thought about it for a few minutes, searching for the answer. His eyes soon went wide as he finally connected the dots. "I realized it when you told me what happened three weeks ago."

"No. That's not possible." Joe shook his head in disbelief. "She wouldn't do that to him!"

"I thought that myself and I've been wracking my brain, trying to picture someone else in that lobby with Ned but her face keeps coming back up over and over again," Nancy said softly. "The person I saw with Ned at that hotel was Callie Shaw."

* * *

 **Another note:**

 **I loved writing in that little snippet about the burger Joe was eating. I recently had an experience in a hospital where a burger was less than worthy of being called that. Unfortunately, it was also my Christmas dinner that I let sit for too long and it was cold so I really feel Joe's pain on this one. Too bad no one came to my rescue with a real burger and fries (Red Robin...Yummm!). Have a great weekend everyone!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Frank looked at his phone, contemplating if he should still answer it as Joe told him to. Although he still didn't fully understand why Callie was so insistent on getting a hold of him, he knew that Joe was right in the end. He had to talk to her and get it over with. He strolled outside as he answered the phone.

"Hello, Callie," Frank replied. He heard her take a breath on the other end as if she were caught off guard when he answered.

"Frank, I…" Callie started. "I didn't think you would ever take my call."

"Well, I did," Frank replied. "Is there something that you want?"

"I wanted to apologize to you," Callie replied slowly. Frank opened his mouth in shock as she continued. "I feel I did you wrong. I did myself wrong too but…"

"Callie, stop," he interrupted. "Just stop."

She got quiet as if ready to listen. Frank took a deep breath and prepared himself for what he was about to say to her. He wasn't even sure how she was going to react but he knew had to say something.

"It's me who should be apologizing," Frank began. He heard her sniffle but she didn't say anything. "I should be thanking you for finally doing what I didn't have the heart or the guts to do. You know as well as I do that we were no longer on the same page when you moved to Boston."

"You're not mad at me then?" Callie asked innocently.

"I am not mad at you for anything," Frank said gently. "I'm mad at myself for not letting us go sooner. I loved you and I still do now but the love that I have for you is more…"

"Platonic."

"Yes, exactly," Frank sighed. "I know that at first, it was a shock that we broke up but I've been thinking it over these past few weeks and especially within the last 24 hours. We should have done this a while back."

"But what I did to you was heartless," Callie whimpered. "I feel awful."

"And what was that?"

"I…I met another man," she sighed. Frank closed his eyes and pursed his lips at the revelation. He had a feeling that was the case but he never expressed it to her before. "He was wonderful and caring and actually wanted to be there with me. He was something that I needed for so long and missed getting from you. I still love you very much but Ned was just a great guy. And…Frank, are you still there?"

"I'm here," Frank replied softly. He sat down on a bench outside the hospital, a slight breeze ruffling his hair. "How did you meet him?"

"Well, we met about seven months ago," Callie began, her confidence gaining. "I was out at the Bull and Finch Pub, having a few drinks with some coworkers. We were laughing it up when the waitress came by with an order of our drinks. She said that it was compliments of a few gentlemen at the bar. He was one of them. At first, it didn't seem like he wanted to be there but we started talking about what we did for a living, trying to get to know one another. He was an insurance agent from Chicago in town for a conference. He then started talking about his girlfriend and how much he looked forward to seeing her when he returned home. He was a little nervous though because he planned to propose to her once he got home. I'll admit, I was jealous because that was something I wanted so much from you but yet deep down, I knew that it was never going to happen between us. I expressed that to him too and he said that I should never give up on you. He was really sweet.

"Before he returned to his hotel, we exchanged phone numbers even though we both knew that there would be nothing more than friendship between the two of us. It wasn't long after he left that I received a text saying that she said yes. But he soon started to get a little discouraged about her. He called one afternoon all upset that she left him for a job on the night they were to reveal their engagement to their families. He was so upset and I felt bad for him so I thought hey, just invite him over to Boston again _._

"After that, he started visiting once a month. Then it turned into several times a month when he told me he left his fiancée. He told me she never gave him any attention anymore and she was constantly busy with one thing or another. I honestly felt sorry for him and I started meeting him in different places; New York, Washington, Boston and mostly weekend trips. Then about a month ago, he told me he was falling in love with me and wanted to be with me. I couldn't believe it but I felt heavy over the thought of you. I couldn't move anymore into a relationship with Ned without ending it with you. We had been together for so long that I still felt something for you but I knew it was time for us to finally end it."

Frank sat there, taking in everything Callie was saying to him. He felt something nagging at him but in that moment, he couldn't quite place it. He sighed and broke his silence.

"Did you…"

"No," Callie answered quickly. "We were just friends for the longest time and I never did anything with him that would hurt the integrity of our own relationship as friends. I couldn't live with myself knowing I had cheated on you. Even after I called you, I couldn't go through with it. I knew I wasn't ready to really move on from you."

* * *

 _Three Weeks Earlier…_

 _Callie and Ned walked hand in hand into the hotel in New York City. The day before, she called Frank to tell him they were over but she still felt as if she had done a bad thing in leaving him. Ned, though, tried his best to cheer her up and make her happy by just being with her._

" _Are you sure you're okay?" Ned asked softly, interrupting her thoughts._

" _What?" Callie answered before shaking her head to clear it. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Just thinking about him, that's all. We're so close to home that I should have just told him in person."_

" _It was good that you did over the phone, Callie," Ned replied, bringing her closer to him. "You said it yourself that it's been over for a while. He should have stepped up a long time ago."_

" _I know but Fr…"_

" _Nope. We're not going there, remember?" Ned interrupted, putting his finger across her lips to silence her. "The less you speak of whatever his name is, the better. I never speak of Nan, do I?"_

" _You just did," Callie giggled._

" _Oh, you're right." Ned laughed. "I did, didn't it? Well, no more of that."_

 _The pair walked over to the elevator and stepped in to go up to their room. She never once questioned Ned's weird insistence on using someone else's name to check into his hotels. He always told her it was just fun to pretend once in a while. Somehow, though, Callie got the feeling that there was more to the story than what Ned was telling her._

 _As the elevator doors were closing, Callie caught glimpse of a woman in the lobby who was staring right at them. Although she didn't say anything to Ned, who never noticed the woman, Callie had a strange feeling that she knew her. The reddish blond hair and intense blue eyes were familiar but a name to the face was lost to Callie._

" _Ned?"_

" _Hmm?" Ned strangely had a step in his gait as they walked toward their hotel room._

" _I…I think I'm going to go to take a hot bath tonight," Callie stammered, looking at the ground. "I'm not really feeling well at the moment."_

" _Is everything okay?" Ned asked, concerned._

" _Yeah, I just…need more time."_

" _Seriously?" Ned's demeanor changed. He looked at her as if she grew another head. "I mean I understand that you're still getting over this guy but come on. I have been over her for a while and I told you I want to be with you. You mean more to me than she ever did and I want you to know that I love you."_

" _You have been so wonderful to me, Ned," Callie replied softly, her lips quivering. "But I need more time to get over Frank. He was so good to me and we had been together quite a long time. Can you at least give me that?"_

 _Ned got quiet and Callie could have sworn that his face grew pale at the mention of Frank's name. But the moment passed and Ned smiled though it seemed phony._

" _Maybe you should have visited him," he replied. "Where did you say you were from?"_

" _Bayport," Callie said. "Is there something wrong?"_

" _Nah, I'm good." Ned leaned over and gently kissed her forehead. He turned back toward the elevator before adding "I'm going to get a drink downstairs and leave you alone. I'll be back later on, if that's okay."_

" _Yeah," Callie replied, a little confused though she didn't say anything more. She watched him disappear into the elevator without another word before entering their hotel room. She knew Ned was upset with her for changing her mind to what they had planned that night and she contemplated following him to talk to him. The memory of Frank made her change her mind as she began undressing for her bath. As she lowered herself into the hot, bubbly water, Callie began to cry at the realization that she was alone when she thought her life was going in a good direction for once. She felt abandoned by the one person she thought would understand why she still hesitated to be with him._

* * *

"The next morning, he was gone," Callie replied. "No note. No reason. He just left and I haven't heard from him since. He also stiffed me with the bill for the hotel. I had to call my parents to help with it."

Frank sighed, angry that someone would do something like this to a woman like Callie. She was smart, beautiful and one of the most caring people he had the pleasure of knowing. Then it dawned on him. The name Callie mentioned was as familiar as his own and Frank knew that this was no coincidence.

"Callie, what did you say his name was?"

"Ned," she said, her sniffling subsiding. "Why?"

"You said he was from Chicago, right?"

"Yeah."

"His name wouldn't happen to be Ned Nickerson, would it?" He heard Callie suck in a breath at the mention of Ned's last name.

"How…how did you know that?"

"Callie, you said he never really mentioned his 'ex' or what she did for a living?"

"No, not really." Callie paused in thought. "Actually, he said she traveled a lot and only called her by her nickname…"

"Nan."

"Frank, you're scaring me now. How did you know that?"

"Callie, Nan is short for Nancy."

"The woman in the lobby."

"Huh?"

"Frank, I saw a woman in the lobby of the hotel three weeks ago," Callie replied quickly. "I couldn't quite place her until you mentioned her name. Oh, my God, Frank. You have to believe me. I had no idea that she was his ex-girlfriend. It never dawned on me even when he mentioned being from Chicago. I guess I was just so desperate to have someone like him in my life that I blocked everything I ever knew about her. Oh, God. I can't believe I fell for that."

"Callie, calm down," Frank said gently. He could tell she was getting upset over the whole thing and believed her when she said she didn't know. "It's not your fault. Ned should never have pursued you knowing he was breaking someone else's heart at the same time. It's going to be hard for me not to beat the living crap out of him though."

"What do you mean? Is he there?"

"Yes," Frank answered after a slight hesitation. "He came here to take Nancy home."

"But, why?" Callie asked, her voice cracking. "He told me that they were no longer together. He said that almost six months ago."

Frank looked at the ground, not knowing what to say. He really didn't want to tell Callie about the reason Ned was in Arizona because he thought she might become a little more distraught than she already was. Frank sighed, knowing what he had to do.

"Callie, he said he was here to take Nancy home in order to plan their wedding." Frank waited to see what she would say before he said anything more.

"That's not possible," Callie said softly, almost too low for Frank to hear her. "You mean, he lied to me?"

Frank rubbed a hand across his forehead. His heart hurt knowing what both Callie and Nancy were going through at that moment. He knew Nancy had to have seen the pair together at the hotel three weeks ago which sent her on a trip to Arizona to get away. Plus he had a feeling that Ned knew that he was Callie's ex when she mentioned him on their final night together. Frank just didn't know if he was going to be able to control his anger if he saw Ned in the next few minutes. He sighed . "Where are you at right now?"

"I'm at my parent's house for a few days. I needed some time to think." She sniffled loudly. "Why?"

"I want you to go see Vanessa. I know it's late there but I think that you need to be around someone who can just listen and be a shoulder to cry on. Will you do that for me?"

"Yes," Callie sniffled.

"Don't worry about anything, Callie," Frank replied. "Has he tried to contact you at all in the past few weeks?"

"No, not once," she stated. Callie started to cry again, her sniffling louder than before. "He…he just left. Oh, God, Frank. What have I done?"

"Call Vanessa, right now. I'm going to get off the phone and I'll call you later. Okay?"

"Okay." Callie sniffled. "I'm so sorry, Frank. I really am."

"I know you are but you're not the one who should be apologizing. I'll see you later."

"Oh, Frank?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

After ending the call, Frank shook his head in disbelief that Ned had lied to not only Nancy but to Callie as well. What he really wanted to do was to break the man in half. Before he went back into the hospital, Frank decided to send a text to Vanessa, letting her know that Callie would be calling her. Since Joe was fine in most regards, Vanessa decided to stay back in New York since she really could not afford to take off work. Once everything was clear with Vanessa and Callie, Frank walked back toward the entrance only to stop when he saw the one person he needed to confront. Ned was flanked by two security guards as they escorted him out of the building. As he continued approaching the three men, Frank's fists kept clenching and unclenching at this sides. Seeing the possibility of a fight break out in front of them, the security guards clustered near Ned who eyes went wide as he saw the look on Frank's face.

* * *

"Hardy!" yelled a voice as Joe closed the door to Nancy's room. Joe turned toward the voice to see an angry Ned walking towards him. "I thought Nancy didn't want to see anyone yet here you are, coming out of her room. I demand to see her now!"

"Like you have any right to demand anything at the moment," Joe remarked, standing his ground. He surprised himself by not wailing on the man even though he really wanted to.

"Get out of my way, Hardy!"

"Sir!" cried a nurse who was walking up behind them. "Visiting hours are now over so I have to ask you to respect this hospital by leaving and returning in the morning to visit. If you cannot abide by this, I will have you escorted out of the building."

"Why aren't you doing your job?" Ned yelled, folding his arms in front of him. "You've all been telling me that Nancy doesn't want to see anyone and now you're telling me that visiting hours are over? If he is allowed to see her, then I demand the same respect!"

"Mr. Hardy, why are you out of bed?" the nurse asked sternly, looking over at Joe. As Ned rolled his eyes, the nurse winked at Joe and smiled slightly before turning her attention back to Ned. "As for you, Mr. Nickerson, is it? We were following her wishes and did not allow visitors into her room. Since Mr. Hardy is a patient at this hospital, he is able to visit her beyond the visiting hours however we do frown upon patients getting out of their beds even for that. Now, if you don't leave, Mr. Nickerson, I am going to call security. Then you will not be able to return at all while Ms. Drew is staying with us. Are we clear?"

"Well, I'm not leaving until I see Nancy," Ned said defiantly. Joe stood just outside his room to make sure Ned didn't try anything, keeping his silence as he listened to the angry man. "I've been waiting here all this time to see my fiancée. The least you people can give me is five minutes with her."

"Sir, I cannot allow that," the nurse stated, putting her hands on her hips. She looked over at another nurse who in turn picked up the phone and began speaking into it. "She needs her rest. Mr. Hardy needs his. It has been a long day for them as I'm sure you know. So, please, I am asking you to leave one last time before security arrives."

"Read my lips, lady," Ned yelled. "I. Am. Not. Leaving. She is practically my wife so I have every right to see her even after hours!"

"She asked you to leave, Ned," replied a strong voice. Joe, the nurse, and Ned all turned to see Nancy standing at the door. Joe was about to say something when Nancy held her hand up to stop him. Nancy stood calmly in the door, her head held high.

"I am not leaving, Nancy, until you talk to me," Ned demanded. He reminded Joe of a spoiled toddler and waited for the man to stomp his foot in a tantrum. "We are not done talking."

"Yes, we are," Nancy said, never wavering. "I've said my peace and we are done."

She took his hand and opened the palm, dropping the diamond ring. Ned stared down at it then looked back up at her, his eyes flaming red.

"We are not done, Nancy," he replied through gritted teeth. He squeezed the ring into his hand, the knuckles turning white. "We were meant to be together and you know it."

"Get out."

"No."

Before anyone knew it, Nancy whirled around and landed a right hook square into his jaw, knocking him backward into the wall. Joe's mouth dropped open in shock as Ned was stunned for a split second before anger reached his face once more. Two security guards stepped up before he was able to do anything more. He looked at the two guards before rolling his eyes and straightening himself.

"Fine, Nancy," Ned sneered. "But mark my words, you're going to regret this."

With that, Ned turned away and stormed down the hall, the two guards flanking him as he left. The nurse turned toward her patients and ordered them back to bed before Joe could congratulate Nancy for standing up to Ned. When both doors finally closed, silence prevailed once more in the quiet hospital except for the occasional beep of a machine. The nurse sighed as she walked back around the nurses' station, plopping down into the chair.

"God, I'm too old for this shit."

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **I know, I know. It has been forever since I posted anything on this story and this one is sooo long (it was worth it). I have had some major brain cramps over the summer plus the fact that I was juggling a five year old and an infant at the same time. Now that school is back in session, peace has once again prevailed in my house. Except of course when the baby decides she wants to be a little pistol (still love her tho!). Anyway, I am truly sorry that it took me so long to get this out. I hope that you enjoyed it and I look forward to hearing what you have to say. I am tho going to respond to a few comments that I read about the previous chapter, particularly to RadiantEyes. In all honesty, I really don't know the character of Callie too well as I did not read the Hardy Boys Case Files. I figure she's a pretty stand up person which is why I wrote the scene between her and Frank the way I did. This story is more bashing Ned because, in case you didn't read my profile, I really don't like him as a character. He was stiff and dull in my opinion. After reading Nancy Drew Files #24 Till Death Do Us Part (tell me if I'm wrong, it's been a while), I have never really cared for the character of Ned. Well, that being said, I hope this chapter clears up a few things especially in regards to Callie. Don't forget to review and I will do my best not to wait another 6 months to get the next chapter or so out! Have a good week!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:**

 **Wow. Amazing. Another chapter from me! Well, this has been the longest few weeks of trying to figure out time to write plus the fact that my laptop decided to go on the fritz with the first part of this chapter saved on it. I had to rewrite the whole thing! Anyway, I don't know if you noticed it but, I did change the story's title just a little bit. Yes, this story is going to be part of a trilogy. I thought about it for a while and, with several ideas swirling through my head, I finally found the right one to continue the story. Hopefully it won't take as long to get it out as this story is! Lol! I am not sure if there will be one or two chapters left for this one because there's still a few things to clear up before the end. Plus there will probably be an epilogue to get the next story started! Anyway, enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review. Until then, tootles!**

* * *

Chapter Nine

Frank walked slowly up to Ned who tried his best to look tough. Stopping just feet from him, Frank seethed with anger but remained silent and still. Ned stared him down with narrow eyes then laughed and rolled his eyes.

"I guess the truth was eventually going to come out," he said. "I knew Callie wouldn't keep her mouth shut about us. Did you like what she had to say?"

"Why'd you do it?" Frank asked, his anger abated for the moment. As much as he wanted to beat Ned up, he knew it would never change the past. "Callie is a good woman. So is Nancy. Why would you hurt both of them?"

"Why?" Ned laughed. "Nancy and I are supposed to be together. That is the way it's been between us for years on end. It wasn't supposed to just end. Besides, I had plans for my future with her. As for Callie, she was just something that I had to do. She would have been an easy notch had it not been for the fact that she was still stuck on you."

"You're one sick son-of-a-bitch," Frank growled. His hands clenched again though he never made a move. He looked at Ned's face, noticing a growing bruise on his cheek. Frank laughed as he continued, his hands opening. "I see that Nancy has already given you her answer. I guess she finally saw what a worthless person you really are."

"Nancy may have said no to me now," Ned growled, touching his face tenderly, "but I guarantee I'll have what I want in the end."

"I highly doubt that, Ned," Frank laughed. "Nancy is not someone who takes cheating lightly."

"Oh and you think that you're the one for her, Hardy?" Ned laughed, throwing back his head. "I'm sure you're thinking that you're going to be her knight in shining armor, right? That's a laugh! You can't even keep your own girlfriend from cheating on you!"

"Callie said she never did anything with you," Frank replied as calmly as he could though Ned could tell the man was doubting the story.

"Oh, is that what she told you?" Ned laughed even louder. "She told me all about you, Frank. How you ignored her when she moved to Boston and how you loved your job more than you loved her. She was lonely and I fulfilled what she wanted which was a real man! Do you honestly think that she would tell you the truth about our relationship. She hated you for not coming to Boston with her!"

"That's enough, Mr. Nickerson!" cried a voice nearby. The two men turned toward the voice to see an older man walking up to them, his grey eyes blazing. Even in a nice shirt and jeans, Carson Drew was still a formidable person, causing both Ned and Frank to take a step back.

"Carson, I…" Ned stammered.

"Save it," Carson snarled. He stopped inches from Ned and though he was shorter than the younger man, Carson made him cower slightly. "Did you honestly think that coming here would do anything more than get yourself a good ass whooping? I see from the nice shiner on your face, that someone already beat Frank to the punch although I really wouldn't blame him for knocking the shit out of you after what I just heard. Why the hell are you here anyway?"

"I came back for Nancy," Ned said, his confidence rising though he still slightly cowered.

"And she told you to get lost, I take it?"

"We just had a…misunderstanding," Ned said.

"A misunderstanding, my ass," Carson replied. He looked at the two security guards who stood by the doors, listening to the entire conversation. "Was he kicked out of the hospital?"

"Yes, sir," one of the guards replied, stepping forward. "The nurses called us about a disturbance outside one of the rooms after visiting hours. We were told to escort him to the exit and he is not allowed to reenter."

"That being said, I suggest you get your ass back to wherever the hole you came out of and never come back, Mr. Nickerson." Carson folded his arms in front of him and glared at Ned who stood his ground.

"But, Carson…"

"Oh, we're no longer like that, _Mr. Nickerson_ ," Carson stated. "I also wouldn't count on having a very good conversation with your boss when you return home. We've already discussed a few things including the fact that you no longer will be working with my firm on cases regarding insurance issues. You also might be seeing the inside of a courtroom yourself in the near future as some of your exploits across the country have been looked at by a few people who wondered why their charge account was over the limit. Your mother asked me to help her on that."

Ned fumed, his face twisted into a grimace, as he stepped slowly away from Carson. Frank was speechless, watching the whole altercation between the two men. As Ned turned toward the parking lot, he stopped and leaned over to say something to Frank.

"Don't forget what I said, Hardy," he growled in a low voice. "You are nothing to her. This isn't over between us either."

With that, Ned bumped his shoulder hard into Frank and walked quickly away towards his rental.

"I sincerely hope you're not gullible enough to believe that man," Carson said softly, putting his hand on Frank's shoulder. Before Frank could answer, the sound of squealing tires drew their attention back to the parking lot where Ned peeled out of the exit, almost running down an incoming car. A siren was soon heard and the flash of a police vehicle zoomed by, chasing Ned's car down the road. Carson laughed slightly. "Good. Maybe a night in jail is what that man needs."

"Maybe," Frank mumbled, shaking his head. Although he didn't say it, he was thankful that Carson arrived when he did. Frank didn't know for sure if he would have been able to keep his anger down any longer nor did he trust himself to not beat Ned to death.

"Hey," Carson interrupted Frank's thoughts. The younger man looked over at him to listen. "It's over. Ned is not worth thinking about anymore. There is such a thing as karma and Ned's time will come soon. He won't be very happy about his mother turning him in either. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried, Mr. Drew," Frank said softly. "I just don't understand how a man could have been so cruel to do treat both Nancy and Callie the way he did. He owes Callie and her parents a lot of money for the hotel room he skipped out on as well."

"He'll get what's coming to him," Carson smiled. "Believe me, there are other things that Ned has done that has just come to light but I can't talk about them at the moment. That will come at a later date once I get the right information."

Frank looked at Carson confused but the older man didn't elaborate any further. It wasn't just the way Ned treated women that was bugging Frank. As Ned's car left the parking lot, Frank could have sworn that Ned was speaking very animatedly as if he were on the phone with someone. As to who it was, Frank had no clue.

"Come on," Carson nodded his head toward the hospital. The two security officers had already left, returning to their duties. "I'll buy you a cup of coffee. You look like you need it."

"I think the cafeteria is closed, sir," Frank replied, stoic.

"You may be right," Carson laughed, looking around the darkened hallways. "Then it'll be a cheap cup of coffee, my boy. Lead the way."

Frank shrugged and walked slowly down the hall towards a bank of vending machines. The hospital was quiet as most of the visitors had gone home and patients were nestled in their beds. An occasional nurse or orderly would pass by, none taking any notice of the two men as they settled into the waiting room couches just down the hall from Joe's and Nancy's rooms. Two cups of hot coffee sat on the table in between them, steam rising from the slightly open lids. Frank nervously shifted, avoiding Carson's gaze and not knowing what to say.

"You know, Frank," Carson finally said, breaking the awkward silence. "You can talk to me. I won't bite."

"I know, sir," Frank mumbled. He looked up at Carson and saw real concern in the man's eyes. "If you don't mind my asking, sir, how are you here already? I thought you weren't supposed to arrive until tomorrow morning."

"Ah, yes," Carson sighed with a smile. "You can thank your father for that. I was going to take a red eye out of O'Hare tomorrow morning but Fenton called me. He's sorry that he couldn't make it but something came up at the last minute that he needed to take care of. Besides, he said that as long as Joe was walking and talking, he felt he wasn't really needed anyway. He offered to send Jack and the plane so, here I am. I preferred to come early anyway since Nancy told me Ned was here. I don't trust him."

"What's going on?"

"I already told you that I can't say anything as of right now, Frank," Carson said mysteriously. "I need to make sure of a few things before anything comes to light. I also don't want Nancy to know about what I said to him. It's bad enough as it is that she has to deal with him cheating on her. I don't really want her to know what that man was really up to just yet. Especially since I, myself, don't know the whole story."

"Oh, okay," Frank replied, still confused. He fell silent, wringing his hands in his lap. Carson watched him and took a sip of his coffee, grimacing at the taste.

"Oh, that's awful," he said, licking his lips. "I don't think I'll be able to get that taste out of my mouth for a while."

Frank laughed and Carson joined in, the soft laughter lightening the mood. Once it died down, an eerie silence rose between the men.

"Frank, who is Callie?"

"She's…" Frank began though he stopped, looking down at his hands. He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to keep his emotions in check even though the thought of Ned made his blood boil again. He really didn't want to relive the whole story again but he knew from experience with Carson Drew that the older man would not let it go until he found out the whole story. Frank swallowed hard and finally spoke, relieving some of the pressure of his feelings. "She was my girlfriend up until about three or four weeks ago."

"I see," Carson sighed, leaning his elbows on his knees. He thought for a few moments before continuing. "Although I prefer to hear the story from the person who experienced it, I have a feeling that she was completely honest with you when she told you. Do you agree?"

"Yes, sir," Frank replied. He pursed his lips and waited.

"Then, by all means, Frank," Carson replied with a soft smile. He leaned back in the couch, folding his hands in front of him. "Tell me exactly what she told you."

Frank sighed and closed his eyes again. He knew eventually he was going to have to come to terms himself with what happened. Slowly, Frank began to tell the story, beginning with his relationship with Callie, leaving out the most intimate details but keeping the important information in. As he told how Callie met Ned, his anger began to rise once more, causing him to stop to take a break.

"Did Callie know who Ned's fiancée was at the time she was with him?" Carson asked as if he were addressing someone the stand in a courtroom.

"No, she said she never knew it was Nancy until I told her not long ago. I know that if she did, Callie would have cut off ties with Ned."

"How do you know that?"

"Because it's Callie," Frank replied, honestly. "She would never want to be the 'other woman' and become a reason for a relationship to end. It's just not in her nature. Besides, she was really upset with herself for what happened. She remembered seeing Nancy in the lobby of the hotel she was at in New York but couldn't quite place her at the time."

"And you trust her to be telling the truth?" Carson asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Absolutely."

"Okay." Carson nodded. He got quiet and sat there as if deep in thought. Frank watched him nervously, still twiddling with his hands. After awhile, Carson nodded again and spoke, breaking the silence. "Knowing what I know about Ned, I believe you. I also feel that Nancy needs to know what happened but you are not the one who should tell her. She needs to hear it from Callie at some point but for now, my daughter needs some space. And time to heal. She'll reach out to Callie herself when she's ready."

Frank nodded, his eyes gazing toward the floor. Although he was glad to hear that Carson believed him, Frank still felt that he was at fault just a little bit for the whole situation. If he had ended their relationship when he should have, maybe the outcome would have been different. He wanted to talk to Nancy more than anything and apologize for his attitude earlier though he didn't say anything.

"Give her time," Carson said softly. Frank's head shot up, his eyes focusing on the gentle grey eyes in front of him. It was as if Carson knew what Frank was thinking without even saying it. "Give yourself time. Quit blaming yourself for something that you had no control over whatsoever."

Frank sighed. He didn't know what to say. He had such a high respect for Carson Drew but the man was still intimidating even though he was gentle at the moment.

"I know how it is, Frank," Carson continued, his eyes searching Frank's. "I've seen the way you've looked at her over the years. You'd be blind not to see it even though I think both of you are a little pig-headed at times. Right now, you both are hurting emotionally. Don't rush yourself or your heart. Trust me."

Frank was silent. He never realized how obvious he was in regards to his feelings for Nancy. He just wondered why it took himself so long to realize those feelings.

"Dad?" came a voice nearby, jolting Frank back to reality. He looked over Carson's shoulder to see Nancy standing by the nurses' station, her face etched in confusion. Even though she wore a hospital gown and pajama bottoms, her hair disheveled, Frank still thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. He averted his eyes quickly, ashamed still. Carson turned around, his face lighting up.

"Hey, sweetheart." He rose and quickly wrapped her in a hug.

"I thought you weren't going to be here until tomorrow morning?"

"Oh, I hitched a ride, as it were," smiled Carson, looking back at Frank and winking. He kissed her forehead and hugged her again. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"I couldn't sleep," she stated. Nancy glanced at Frank and smiled but he avoided her by looking at the floor as if it held a secret for him to unlock. Although she smiled back at her father, Nancy was hurt by Frank's reaction. She cleared her throat and continued. "I asked the nurse if I could go for a walk to clear my head. I went the other direction and then came back here after hearing your voice. What's going on?"

"Nothing to concern you right now, sweetie," Carson smiled again. He took her by the arm and guided her out of the waiting room. She turned slightly to steal one more glance at Frank but he continued to ignore her. "You go back to your room. I'll meet you there."

"Oh, okay, Dad," Nancy replied, sadly. "Good night, Frank."

As she disappeared into her room, Carson turned back to Frank who was now looking intently to where Nancy was just standing.

"Don't forget what I said, Frank," Carson said sternly but gently.

"I won't, sir," Frank answered softly. "And thank you."

Carson smiled as he went into Nancy's room and closed the door. Frank knew he just alienated Nancy once again by ignoring her completely but he didn't have the heart to say anything to her let alone look at her. All he wanted to do was erase the events of the past few days, especially his attitude toward her and apologize once again to both Joe and her. He leaned his head back on the couch and closed his eyes, cursing himself for not saying anything. He finally dozed off, his troubled thoughts fading away as the darkness of sleep engulfed him.

* * *

"Dad, is Frank mad at me for some reason?" Nancy asked as she got into her bed.

"No, I don't think so," Carson said, gently.

"Well, why didn't he say anything? He didn't even look at me!"

"I don't know, sweetheart."

"Did you say something to him?"

"That's between me and him, Nancy," Carson replied. Although she didn't pursue it, he knew that Nancy was eager to find out what they were talking about. He spread the covers over her and kissed her on the forehead. "How he feels is up to him. Now, get some rest."

"But, Dad, I…"

"No, buts, Nancy," Carson said sternly. "You need your rest. We'll be leaving in the morning."

"Okay," she mumbled, closing her eyes. She knew her father was right about getting rest but she wanted to know why Frank treated her like that. It was almost as if he were ashamed to be around her. Yes, Nancy was upset about the whole ordeal and the way he treated her but she wanted to talk to him, to tell him something. She heard a portion of the conversation and knew her dad talked to him about giving her space. She wasn't mad at her dad for saying it because he was right. She did need space. After the way Frank just treated her too, Nancy was sure she didn't want to speak to him or anyone else for a while. All she wanted was to be left alone. She wanted time to think about what she wanted to do in the near future especially since her life was about to start all over again. She wanted space away from Ned, away from home, and most especially, now, away from Frank Hardy.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:**

 **Yay, another chapter from me! Thanks to those who wrote reviews for the last chapter! I appreciate any and all criticism! I wanted to get this chapter published before the holiday so I can spend my very busy weekend with family and not worry about the story. I have been tweaking it and tweaking so hopefully it comes out the way I'd like it to. Anyway, this story is almost done. I wanted this to be the last chapter but sadly, I could not get everything in without making it extremely long. So, there is one more chapter plus an epilogue (you know I love epilogues!). I would like to have it done within the next two weeks but I can't promise anything with Thanksgiving, cookie baking, and the Game coming on Saturday. So, for those of you who live in the States, have fun, cherish that special time with family (keep politics out of it!), eat lots of food, and have many blessings to you and your families. For those of you who don't live in the States, same thing anyway. Enjoy the story, don't forget to review, and one more thing: GO BLUE!** **Happy Turkey Day!**

xxxxxxx

Chapter Ten

Nancy slowly opened her eyes, the room around her dark. She could make out the silhouettes of the sparse furniture in the hospital room, one of which was a chair that looked as if someone had slept in it. The chair now stood empty, a blanket draper over the back. The clock on her phone read 8:30 am and she could see sunlight peeking out from the sides of the blind over the window. A knock at the door drew her attention as her father walked into the room with a smile and two cups of coffee. A nurse followed close behind him, walking over to the computer stand nearby. Carson set the cups down and pulled open the blinds revealing a beautiful sunny morning. Nancy squinted her eyes to the blinding light beaming into the room.

"How are you feeling today, sleepyhead?" the nurse asked cheerfully. "Any coughing or lack of breath?"

"No, not that I know of," Nancy replied, shaking her head. She yawned and stretched her arms out as the nurse updated her file. "I slept fine once I fell asleep and I woke up just now."

The nurse didn't answer, continuing to type away at her computer. Once she was done, she began taking Nancy's vitals before she said anything.

"Looks like you're good to go, Nancy," the nurse happily announced. "Your friend has already been discharged much to the dismay of the doctor but I think he will be fine with you leaving since you seem to be doing much better. I'll go get the doctor to release you so you can leave with your friends."

"Okay, thank you," Nancy replied though she didn't seem excited about the prospect of leaving.

"Everything all right, sweetheart?" Carson asked when he noticed her demeanor.

"Yeah, I guess," she answered with a nonchalant shrug.

"You can't lie to me, young lady," Carson said sternly, his hands on his hips. "What's going on?"

"I…I don't really want to go home," Nancy stammered, looking up at her father, her eyes welling with tears. "At least not right now."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with what happened last night between you and Frank, would it?"

"It does, somewhat, but also after everything that went on with Ned," Nancy continued, looking back down at her hands. She rubbed her finger where once the beautiful engagement ring rested. "I…I just need some time to think."

Before Carson could say anything more to her, another knock came at the door. This time it was Sheriff Doyle and Marcus Windham, the professor from the dig, who walked in. The professor looked like he could be Albert Einstein's twin with his shocking white hair sticking our every which way, only Windham didn't have a mustache.

"Carson!" cried Marcus. He glided over to his old friend and shook his hand. "It's been a long time."

"Good to see you too, Marcus," Carson smiled then looked to the sheriff whose face was all business. He held out his hand to the woman who took it briefly. "You must be Sheriff Doyle. Carson Drew. I'm Nancy's father."

The Sheriff's face lightened a bit at the pleasantry Carson showed her and nodded her head in acknowledgement to the lawyer. She soon went back to business, looking at Nancy as she spoke.

"I'm glad to see that you and your friend, Mr. Hardy are doing well this morning, Miss Drew," she replied with a slight smile.

"What brings you here, Sheriff?" Nancy inquired, curious about the visit.

"Right down to business, huh. Well, I thought you might like to know that we caught the thieves," Sheriff Doyle laughed. Nancy gave her a surprised look. "Seems they were none too smart to begin with. With all the police hovering around the area of the cave-in, one would think to not return to retrieve the stolen goods. Maybe they thought no one knew about it, who knows but a few men were seen entering another shaft of the old mine on the opposite end of the mountain, one we thought had collapsed years ago. A few officers were left on duty just in case there was a way to get in to get the stolen artifacts so once the men entered the shaft, the officers arrested them. Sang like little birdies about the stolen artifacts and my officers were able to recover them."

"I am hoping that the good sheriff here would release the artifacts so I can get them to Phoenix for cataloging with the rest of research," Windham chimed in, hopefully. "It would be wonderful to see all of what was in there even if it wasn't a part of my original dig."

"And I told you, Dr. Windham," the sheriff added, "that they need to be entered in as evidence before I can release them. I am going as fast as I can."

"I understand that but…"

"You have my word, doctor, that you will get the artifacts back within the next month."

"Did any of the men say anything else about who was really behind this?" Carson interrupted, getting back to the criminals.

"Initially, yes," Doyle nodded her head. "They just turned on each other but none of them really said anything as to who was really behind it. I'm afraid we'll never know. Those two are pretty hell bent on blaming each other for getting caught than telling us who hired them. There's something else too. We have a certain young man in our jail who says you assaulted him last night. Is this true?" She looked over at Nancy for a reaction.

Nancy bit her lip, thinking about what to say. She didn't want to go to jail over punching Ned in the face, no matter how much he deserved it. Finally, she meekly uttered out the word "Yes."

"I see." The sheriff thought it for a moment then laughed. Nancy looked up at her, stunned by her reaction. "I was wondering which one of you was going to knock him one. He was a pain-in-the-ass yesterday along with Frank Hardy. I had my bets on him though rather than you."

"So, I'm not being charged?" Nancy asked.

"Oh, hell no," Doyle replied with a smirk. "I feel he deserved it, especially since he was escorted out of the hospital last night for refusing to leave. The guards on duty last night told when I contacted them earlier this morning."

"What's he charged with anyway?" Carson asked. "If you don't mind my asking."

"Oh, no worries," Sheriff Doyle waved her hand to him. "Let's see…reckless endangerment, speeding, cursing at an officer of the law…that one I wrote him a ticket on because he pissed me off when I pulled him over…resisting arrest, and evading police. I had to chase him down about three miles before he realized he was being pulled over. Believe me, he was not too happy about it either. He said he was on the phone and couldn't hear the sirens. Uh huh, sure. I also just found out there's an outstanding warrant for his arrest in Chicago. Didn't find that one out till just about five minutes ago. I'm the closest to the courthouse and the ranking officer so I have to be going here soon to make it there before his arraignment. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that warrant, would you, Mr. Drew?"

"I might," Carson replied, cryptically.

"Dad?"

"Later, Nancy."

"But…"

"Later." Carson gave her a look and Nancy shut her mouth quickly, ending the inquisition.

"Right." Sheriff Doyle eyed the father and daughter but moved toward the door to leave. "I'll keep you posted on what happens with Mr. Nickerson. You all take care now."

"Sheriff, wait up," replied Carson, rushing to the door. He left both Nancy and the professor in an awkward silence.

"I wish someone would just tell me what the hell is going on," mumbled Nancy.

"What was that?" Windham asked.

"Nothing," Nancy smiled. She eyed the professor, thinking about something. "Hey, um, do you still need any help?"

xxxxxxxx

An hour later, Nancy was just finishing packing her bag when her father walked into the room. She gave him a side glance before continuing her packing.

"I see you're mad at me for earlier," Carson replied after a brief silence. "The less you know right now, sweetheart, the better."

"I don't understand, Dad," she said softly. "Why are you treating me like I can't handle anything? I'm not a child, you know."

"I know," Carson said gently. He took her hands in his own and looked into Nancy's eyes. "You are so much like your mother. She would use that same look on me sometimes to get her own way. There were times where I couldn't resist her either."

Nancy laughed and looked away for a moment. She thought of Ned and the man's weird persistence. Then she thought of her father's secrecy that obviously had something to do with her former fiancé. Other thoughts rushed through her head including thoughts of Frank Hardy. She didn't really want to see him before they left and had remained in her hospital room even after her discharge just to avoid him. She knew she needed more time to think and her conversation with Professor Windham gave her that opportunity.

"What's going on in that pretty little head of yours, Nancy?" Carson asked with a smile, interrupting her thoughts. She looked blankly at him as if she just realized he was there. "I understand that you're staying behind, sweetheart."

"Professor Windham told you then?"

"Yes. With Ned in jail for a while, I don't think I have to worry about you going after him. Do I?"

"No, I don't think I want to see him any time soon." Nancy sighed. "I've said everything I needed to say to him. We're done. Professor Windham will be back to get me soon. He wants to get going and be in Phoenix by lunch. He needs all the help he can get with the cataloging."

"There's no more digging then?"

"Blessfully, no," Nancy laughed. Carson smiled with her, happy to see she was finally smiling after everything that went on in the past few days and weeks.

"Well," Carson sighed. "I guess I will see you when you decide to come home."

"I won't be gone long, Dad," Nancy replied. She gave him a hug and a peck on the cheek. "Maybe a week or two. It depends on how long the professor needs extra help. This will give me ample time to figure out what I'm going to do once I come home."

"Well, I'll be waiting for you, sweetheart," Carson leaned over and kissed her forehead gently. "And I'm sure that Hannah will make one of her famous meals for you once you come home."

"Thanks, Dad."

"Anytime. Are you coming out to say goodbye to Frank and Joe?" Carson asked, almost hopeful. "I think Frank wants to apologize. He seemed adamant about talking to you."

Nancy sighed. She didn't really want to confront Frank again after last night but she knew that her father would want her to at least say something to him and Joe. Nodding, she grabbed her bag and followed her father out of the room and into the hallway where the Hardys were waiting at the nurse's station.

"Joe, I don't think your wife would like to know that you still flirt with women while you're away from her," Frank replied, rolling his eyes. Joe was leaning over the counter, giving his biggest smile to the young woman sitting behind the desk. Her face went slack when Frank said "wife" and she turned away from Joe without another word.

"Man, you are no fun, Frank," Joe complained, pouting like a little kid who just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Believe me, I probably saved you a lot of anguish with Vanessa," Frank answered.

"Oh, yeah? And who was going to tell her."

"No wonder I hear your father complaining about you two when we talk on the phone," Carson laughed, shaking his head. "It's a miracle your mother hasn't pulled her hair out because of you two."

"I think she tried that when we were kids, Mr. D," Joe laughed. "She has a small bald spot near the nape of her neck which is noticeable when she wears her hair up."

"Joe, I think that was you who did that one," Frank laughed. Nancy took notice that he avoided making eye contact with her. He seemed almost nervous now that she was near him. "So are we ready to get going, now that we're all _finally_ here?"

Nancy made a noise and gave him a look of disdain before she walked away from the three of them.

"Way to go, Mr. Moody," Joe replied, watching her leave.

"What? What did I do?"

"That was rude," Carson said, a little on the annoyed side. "She wasn't even going to come out here to say goodbye if it hadn't been for me. I thought you wanted to talk to her!"

"I did but I didn't think I said anything wrong!" Frank cried. Carson gave him a look and stormed away to catch up to Nancy.

"Dude, what's wrong with you?" Joe asked as they headed for the main entrance of the hospital. "I don't think you can put your foot any further into your mouth."

As the brothers exited the hospital, they saw Nancy and Carson talking quietly next to a car. Professor Windham was loading what looked like Nancy's bag into the trunk of the car while Nancy gave a kiss and hug to her father. Confused, Frank stepped forward and called to her only to get a longing look from Nancy before she got into the car. Moments later, the vehicle pulled out of the parking lot and disappeared down the road. Carson kept watching, ignoring Frank and Joe behind him.

"Does this mean she's not coming home with us?" Joe mumbled, breaking the silence.

"Shut up, Joe."

xxxxxxxxx

Fifteen minutes later, the Hardys were in the rental car agency, returning their vehicle while Carson went on to the courthouse. He wanted to make sure that Ned remained in jail until someone from Chicago PD came to get him to be extradited. The two brothers were silent until they walked out of the building to head towards the courthouse in order to meet Carson.

"Why did she leave without saying anything?" Frank asked. "I really needed to say something to her."

"Dude, you pretty much ignored her in the hallway then practically said she was who was holding us up to leave," Joe answered.

"Oh, I did not!"

"Um, yeah, you did." Joe stopped him in the middle of the sidewalk and faced his brother. "How did you think she was going to react? Did you think she was going to open up her arms and give you a hug, telling you it's okay? You're lucky she didn't slap you across the face for that remark. You really screwed up this time and I'm not going to be the happy-go-lucky Joe anymore to cushion you. Nancy just went through a rough time. She dumped Ned - which was totally awesome, if you ask me - plus she spent hours being trapped in a cave-in with yours truly. You didn't hear her open up her heart to me. She was devastated about Ned and then you act like a total turd to her when she was going to give you the benefit of the doubt! What the hell happened?"

"Don't you think I feel like crap for what I did?" Frank yelled. "For everything that I did in the past few days, with treating both you and Nancy like dirt just because of my own jealousy of you two? There is nothing in this world that I would do just to go back to that hospital and rewind. I didn't just want to talk to her, I _needed_ to talk to her. But Carson told me to wait until I knew I was really ready and to give her time to do the same. Maybe that's why I said what I said, I don't know. All I know now, is that she wants nothing to do with me and I don't know if I can take that."

"You're going to have to for now, Frank," Joe said gently. The brothers began walking once more, the courthouse looming just ahead of them. "Carson is right. You do need to take your time but he didn't mean for you to be a dick."

Frank laughed at his brother's words. Joe was the only one who could really put things into plain sight for him. He looked up the steps of the courthouse to see Carson and Sheriff Doyle coming down towards them, neither one of them looking very happy.

"What's wrong?" Frank asked, concerned.

"He's gone!" Carson cried. "Ned's been released!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:**

 **Merry Christmas everyone! I wanted to get at least the last chapter out before the holiday. Depending on the next few days, I'm hoping to get out the epilogue before the new year begins. Thanks so much for the reviews! This one is very short so I hope that you enjoy it! Ironically, I think the epilogue will be longer. Anyway, enjoy, leave a review and tell me what you think! Tootles!**

* * *

Chapter Eleven

"What do you mean 'he was released?'" Frank asked. Joe stood behind him, his mouth open in shock.

"A lawyer came in about an hour before Sheriff Doyle arrived and was able to get him released," Carson explained, shaking his head. "The judge never knew about the warrant and the lawyer was able to get all charges against Ned dropped. He walked out of here a free man."

"How is that possible?" Joe asked, confused.

"The judge said he believed Ned's excuse about not being able to hear the sirens, so the evading the police charge was dropped along with the speeding ticket," Carson growled angrily. He rubbed his forehead in frustration.

"Is he going after Nancy again?" Frank asked, concerned.

"We don't think so," Sheriff Doyle answered. She seemed just as frustrated as Carson. "He left before Nancy did and the only ones who knew she was staying are standing here. He's probably on his way back to Chicago. I'm just furious that all of the charges were dropped over several technicalities and loopholes. The judge didn't even hear my side of the story because this lawyer came in when I wasn't available."

"But what about the outstanding warrant?" Joe asked. He looked over at Frank, seeing his brother getting worked up again over the news. Placing a comforting hand on Frank's shoulder, Joe continued. "Can't we bring him back for that? Why didn't the judge know about it?"

"Titus Greyly, Ned's lawyer, neglected to tell the judge about it," explained Carson, shaking his head. "Seems there were several miscommunications in which people here didn't know anything about it until it was too late and Ned was already gone. It's almost as if they were never able to access the information. I've been on the phone with my office and it sounds like someone is trying to get the warrant dropped."

"Can they do that?"

"If they stop the one who's making the complaint, which would be Ned's mother. I was planning on talking to her while we were on our way back to Chicago, which we need to get moving now. I'm worried about Edith Nickerson though. Ever since her husband passed away a few years ago, she's been very vulnerable and sick herself. I'm concerned that someone might do something to her in order to get the warrant dropped for Ned's arrest."

"What about Nancy?" Frank finally asked though his hands were still clenched at his sides. "Is she in any danger of Ned coming back?"

"You've already expressed your concern about her, Frank," Carson stated, placing a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "And I appreciate that but she is completely safe, as far as I'm concerned. I'd rather her be here over the next few days anyway until we can get the whole thing squared away with Ned. Marcus knows the situation and he'll keep an eye on her while she's with him. Besides, she can take care of herself. She doesn't need my hand or yours to help her."

"I'll keep you all posted if he shows up here again," Sheriff Doyle replied, looking at each one of them. "I'm just as frustrated as you are. That lawyer made me look like a fool and I don't take too kindly to that. Mr. Nickerson should be sitting in my jail still. But then again, there are times that the judge and I don't see eye to eye very much. As for you Carson, I wish you the best of luck with your own case. This Titus Greyly character sounds like a real slime ball."

"He is, Sheriff," Carson said, serious. "I've had many run-ins with the firm he's with. They're known for being hired by big shots to get them out of trouble so I'm wondering how Ned was even able to afford him. They're not exactly cheap."

"Well, I trust that you and the Hardys here will be able to figure that one out," Sheriff Doyle smiled. "But for me, I need to get back to my duties. It was nice meeting y'all and please, Mr. Hardy." She looked at Frank with raised a eyebrow. "Don't come back. You're too exhausting."

Joe snickered and Carson hid a smile while Frank looked confused. The sheriff waved goodbye before stepping off the last step and walked away from the three men.

"Am I really that difficult?" Frank asked looking from his brother to Carson then back again. Joe burst out laughing and hugged his brother before the three headed to Carson's rental car.

Within 20 minutes, the three were packed onto the small jet with Jack at the controls, on the tarmac of the airport. As the plane took off, Frank watched silently from the window seat as Arizona grew smaller and smaller, his thoughts on someone miles away. He wondered what would have happened if he hand done something different to stop her from leaving.

* * *

A few hours later, the Hardys and Carson Drew landed in Chicago. The three were somber as Frank and Joe walked Carson through the terminal of the small airport.

"Is there something you're not telling us about Ned, Mr. Drew?" Frank asked. They were stopped just before the doors that led to the parking lot of the airport. Carson sighed and pursed his lips.

"I can't really say anything at the moment, Frank," he finally answered after a brief moment of silence. "Honestly, I don't know what's really going on with him but after this experience and the fact that he is lawyered out the wazoo, I'm concerned. I'm concerned about Edith and I'm concerned about Nancy. Neither one of them really know what Ned is really capable of. I'm not even sure what he's capable of. All I know is that it has something to do with his employer and that's as far as I've gotten for now."

The three grew quiet, the terminal nearly empty. Frank bit his lip as he stared at the ground, thinking. Joe munched on peanuts while Carson sighed again.

"I need you both to promise me something," Carson finally said, looking sternly at each brother. "If Nancy ever needed your help, I want you two to be there for her, no matter what. Promise?"

"I promise," Frank nodded seriously.

"WE promise," Joe corrected, looking at his brother. Frank barely said a word the entire flight to Chicago except for the occasional yes or no. Joe wondered what was going on with him but he knew that if he pressed it, Frank would either clam up or blow up.

Carson laughed, shaking his head. "You two always knew how to put a smile on my face," he replied. Both brothers gave him blank stares. Carson turned serious once more as he continued. "Whatever is going on, I feel that Nancy will need her friends close to her, no matter what happens. Even if it turns out she just needs some support. I trust that the two of you will fulfill your promise when the time comes."

Frank thought for a few moments while he listened to the older man. He wondered what Ned could have possibly gotten himself into that would make Carson so edgy about him. Ned wasn't really the smartest tool in the shed but he wasn't completely stupid.

"Frank?" Carson's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"You okay?"

"Erm, sure, oh yeah," Frank stuttered, nodding his head. "Whatever you need me to do, I'll do it. I'll be there."

"Am I invisible all of a sudden?" Joe shook his head but didn't elaborate or correct Frank. "Just give us a call, Mr. D. You know where to find US."

"Thank you both," Carson smiled. He turned to Frank and became serious again. "Remember what I told you, Frank. I'm counting on you to do so."

"I'll remember, sir," Frank nodded with a small smile. Joe looked from Frank to Carson, confused. He mumbled something about being invisible.

"Good boy," Carson smiled again, lightening the mood. He held out his hand and shook hands with each brother, wishing them good will. He waved again and strolled out of the terminal towards the parking lot.

"What was that all about, Frank?" Joe asked as they watched Carson head toward his car.

"Nothing, Joe," Frank turned back toward where their plane stood waiting.

"Nothing, my ass," Joe retorted, following his brother. "What did he tell you?"

"Drop it, Joe."

"Oh, come on!"

"Joe."

"It's about Nancy, right?"

"Joe!"

"I knew it! Ha!"

"Do I need to duct tape your mouth shut before we go home?" Frank stared down his brother as the plane's engine started. "Because that's what I'll do if you don't stop asking."

"No, you won't. I'll tell Mom."

"I'll tell her about Vanessa."

Joe pouted, crossing his arms in front of him. He hated the fact that Frank held a bigger secret about him that he couldn't counter on. He glared at Frank who stared lightly back, knowing that he won the battle. But Joe knew that the war wasn't over yet.


	12. Epilogue

**Author's Note:**

 **Well, this is it! Finally got out the end of this story. I hope that you all enjoyed it and that you continue on with the next story, once I get it going. With kids, job, home life, etc, who knows when I'll be able to get the next one out! Anyway, thanks to max2013 for the review and to all the newest followers who joined our journey. Happy new year, everyone and please, don't forget to write a review and tell me what you think of it! Until next time!**

* * *

Epilogue

A half hour after being released from jail, Ned sat on the private jet, mindlessly thumbing his way through a magazine. He didn't fully understand why they left in such a hurry. What he really wanted to do was to find Nancy and talk some sense into her. Her rejection of him wasn't sitting well with Ned and he wanted nothing more than to explain. He still loved her even though it was mostly in a more familial way. Their romantic relationship ended long before he actually proposed to her and he pursued other women in the process behind her back just to get the intimacy he craved. Nancy just never realized that he had no real intention of being with her in that way. Ned was more angry at her rejection than anything else. They were together for so long that people were expecting them to get married even though it was obvious there was no real love between them. Well, obvious to him at least. Besides, Ned's boss wanted the couple to be together for purposes that Ned still had trouble grasping. Weeks before, he had to make sure that he got Nancy to sign some paperwork, lying to her about what they were about. Ned was really lucky that she didn't get her father involved, that she took his word about what the papers were about.

Sighing out of boredom and anger, Ned threw the magazine down and looked over at his companions who were flying with him. One was his lawyer, a weasel-like man, short in stature but sleazy in nature. The man sweet-talked the judge into dropping all charges against Ned, making the sheriff look like an idiot. But then again she deserved it according to him. The lawyer was currently lounging in his seat, the back down all the way. His snores echoed through the cabin, annoying the other passenger whom Ned was now eyeing with desire. The woman sitting across from him was his boss' personal assistant who knew just about everything that was going on. She sniffed, a look of sheer disgust as she rolled her eyes. Her attention was set on the papers before her, obviously ignoring Ned who was sitting directly across from her. Ned smirked as he looked her up and down, stopping at all the right places. Her long legs were crossed in front of her, her foot bouncing just slightly to the turbulence of the plane. Ned thought of Nancy in this moment and compared her to the other woman. Nancy was a beautiful woman in her own right but this one was sexy beautiful.

"Quit undressing me with your eyes, Mr. Nickerson," the woman replied from behind her papers. "I have no interest in you other than being forced to be here by Mr. Preston."

"I'm just admiring the view," Ned continued to smirk. "Am I not allowed to look?"

"You can look all you want," her brown eyes looked up at him for a brief moment. Ned could tell she was annoyed. "But if you even put a finger on me, I'll break it."

"Okay, okay," Ned held his hands up in protest and leaned back in his seat. "I'll stop. Why did we leave so quickly, anyway?"

The woman sighed and put down her papers on the table next to her. She looked at Ned with her intense brown eyes, her lips pursed. "I have already explained this to you, Mr. Nickerson."

"Please, call me Ned," he smiled his best smile. "We've known each other for a long time."

"Mr. Nickerson," she reiterated, "I have no intention of giving into any advances by the likes of you so you need to stop your childish game of attempted flirtation. As for us leaving quickly, the judge did not know about the warrant for your arrest in Chicago. Mr. Preston was not happy when he found out you were using your mother's charge account in order to pay for your duty with Ms. Shaw, especially since he gave you an extensive credit limit for the job."

"I told you, that was to make sure that Nancy didn't find out about my time with Callie," Ned huffed. He folded his arms in defeat as he continued. "You know how she is. If she were to be suspicious about me, she would not have thought to look up my mother's name instead of my own."

"And she still found out because you got careless!" the woman shook her head. "Plus you didn't do what you were supposed to do while in New York three weeks ago."

"Who says I didn't?"

"We assumed that since you did not report directly to us when we told you where Ms. Drew was, you did not get what was needed."

"Oh, I did," Ned smiled broadly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a flash drive, tossing it to the woman. "After our little 'break-up,' I came back to the hotel room and got a few things while she was in the bath tub. She never heard me slip in or out or the fact that I turned on her computer that she brought with her. I got all the information Mr. Preston wanted but what I don't understand is why you didn't tell me she was Frank Hardy's girlfriend."

"That was the real reason why we wanted you to infiltrate Ms. Shaw," the woman explained. "We are playing a game of chess and she was just a pawn to smoke out the right players."

"What about the information? Did I risk that for nothing?"

"Oh, no. There was definitely something we needed from her but we needed her to get to the Hardys."

"Is there something I should know?" Ned looked confused.

"All in good time, Mr. Nickerson. As for the warrant in Chicago, it is being taken care of as we speak, along with any loose ends."

"And what of my mother?"

"She's a loose end."

"Good. The old sow needs to go anyway. What kind of mother turns in their own kid? To my fiancee's father, no less."

"The same kind of woman who raised an inconsiderate prick who uses women like toilet paper."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," the woman glared at him. "The only reason why I'm here is because Mr. Preston requested me to come. He wanted me to get information out of you and let you know of the situation in Chicago. Otherwise, I wouldn't have touched you or come near you with a 10-foot pole. Now, back to business, since we have Nancy's signature on file, we won't be needing her right away. Mr. Preston asked me to tell you to lay off of her a while. There will be another time and place for you to approach her in the near future. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Ned muttered, rolling his eyes. He was still angry with the fact that Nancy humiliated him yet again, only this time it was in front of the two people he hated more than his own mother. He wanted nothing more than to pound Frank Hardy into the ground but when Carson Drew arrived, he knew he had to leave. _One of these days…._

"Are you even listening to me?" the woman's voice was shrilled. Ned never even knew he was starting at her chest until she slapped him across the face then lifted the file folder in front of her. "Pig," she muttered under her breath, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear.

Ned glared at her as he rubbed his burning cheek. He wanted to do the worst things to this woman who wanted nothing to do with him, even though he'd known her for as long as he knew Nancy. Nobody rejected him before, including Nancy and now he was rejected by two women in a matter of hours. Ned knew though that Mr. Preston would be furious if he did something to his assistant. He sighed and turned his gaze to the window next to him. The clouds puffed by and his thoughts drifted as the shrew in front of him became quiet. He shook his head to get the cobwebs out when she addressed him once more.

"Mr. Nickerson, I'm curious about your relationship with Ms. Drew. I understand that Mr. Preston has plans for her. You seem to sleep with anything that has nice legs and no brain yet you still profess your love to her. Why do you stoop so low to Nancy Drew?"

"I'm not lowering myself to her," Ned replied, angrily. "I was told to stay with her no matter what and I intend to do just that, until now, that is. You know that. Besides, I've been with her forever and we should be together because of our past. The only problem is that she kept getting doe-eyed on a certain person every chance she got even though she never did anything to indulge it, as far as I know. She owes me. The other girls were just for sport that Nancy never knew about and I intend to keep it that way."

"Hence the reason why I detest men like you," she answered, disdained. She sighed. "At least the man she has 'doe-eyes' for is more of a man than you. As I said before, Mr. Preston insists that you stay away from her until the moment is right. We will discuss her and the Hardy brothers at another time."

"What do those two idiots have to do with anything?"

"You will see, Mr. Nickerson, but not right now." The woman yawned and stretched, placing the file folder back into her briefcase and locking it. She grabbed a hold of a blanket and pillow and lowered her seat back to get comfortable. Although the flight was to be short, the woman seemed to quickly fell asleep, leaving Ned to ponder what she meant about the Hardys. What did they have to do with Mr. Preston, his boss? He knew of her own past with Nancy but not so much with the Hardys. He eyed the briefcase and licked his lips. He shifted slightly, inching his way toward the briefcase until a voice stopped him.

"Don't even think about it."

Ned's hand was in mid-air as he looked up to see the woman glaring at him, her hardcore stare stopping him short of his goal. He nodded and settled back into his chair as the woman snuggled into the blanket once more, her hand draped over the arm, hanging inches from the briefcase.

Ned stared out the window, a flock of geese flapped by but he looked past them as if they were not there. He thought about everything that had gone on the past few days, wishing that the outcome was different. Nancy was going to pay for what she did and so will the Hardys. He grimaced at the mere thought of the three of them together, especially Nancy and Frank. Ned knew they were together now, probably laughing at how Ned reacted to the breakup. She had it all planned from the time she called the brothers to her. Ned knew she wanted Frank even if she never said it. Just one more humiliation for Ned to live with. At that moment, he didn't care about what Mr. Preston wanted of Nancy or even the Hardys. He was going to make sure they all suffered before adding the final blow of what Preston had in store for them in the end.

He looked over at the woman sleeping across from him. He knew her from before Mr. Preston. She was a staple in the River Heights community though she eventually left because she felt the same way Ned did: she needed to get out of the small town and make something of herself. Her father's business wasn't doing that and she left to find her real purpose. If only her parents knew what she was really doing. Her jealousy of Nancy and her friends became very noticeable once again after she reluctantly approached Ned with the proposition from Mr. Preston. Their boss obviously sent her because of her previous relationship with him but she was still reluctant to address him other than Mr. Nickerson.

Ned hated his life sometimes. He wanted something more than just being with Nancy and living in a small town near her goodie-good father, just like the woman across from him. Her parents were the same as Carson. She knew Nancy for a long time and hated being in her shadow every time something big came along in River Heights. With her new job, she was able to not only get a better lifestyle but she changed her whole appearance. No one would ever know who she was even though she still went by her real name: Brenda Carlton.


End file.
